A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 213 



loose open racemes that may be terminal or from among the 

 leaves, and are often branched. In wet places, often in salt 

 marshes. New Brunswick to Florida and westward. May- 

 September. Fig. 649.. See also Nos. 449 and 466. 



650. POTATO FAMILY. SOLANACEAE. 



An immense family of plants, including the potato, tomato, 

 tobacco, egg-plant, and belladonna. Nearly all our species are 

 herbs, but hundreds in the tropics are shrubs and trees. 

 Leaves alternate. Corolla sometimes flat and open, or bell- 

 shaped or tubular. Fruit a berry or dry. Most of the few 

 representatives of the family found in our region are tall 

 stout herbs. They may be separated thus : 

 Flowers solitary or few, not in clusters 



Flowers about 4 in. long Jimson-weed no. 651 



Flowers about i in. long or less Ground-cherry no. 652 



Flowers in clusters 



Leaves and stems prickly Horse-nettle no. 653 



Leaves and stems not prickly Black Nightshade no. 654 



651. JiMSON-WEED. Datura Stramonium. A stout Euro- 

 pean weed, 13^-5 ft. tall, with a green or purple stem and 

 large coarsely angled stalked leaves, 3-8 in. long. Flower 

 solitary, about 4 in. high, the long tube flaring at the top, 

 white, or rarely violet. Fruit a prickly bur, about 2 in. long 

 and half as thick. The juice of this plant is i)oisonous. In 

 fields and waste places. Nova Scotia to Florida, and west- 

 ward. June-September. Fig. 651, 



652. Ground-cherry. Physalis virginiana, A branched herb, 



