SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY) 367 



means early, deep, and frequent cutting with hoe or spud ; salt on 

 the cut surfaces will retard new growth and will also induce stock to 

 bite off young shoots. In order to destroy the rootstocks short 

 rotations are necessary, alternating cultivated crops, to which 

 are given such thorough tillage that no green leaves are allowed 

 to appear on the weeds, with such crops as rye, clover, and vetch, 

 which will choke and smother the Nettle, supply late pasturage, 

 and then be plowed under to furnish humus for another cultivated 

 crop, well tilled. Two or three seasons of continuous effort are 

 required in order to suppress the weed, but the labor is well repaid 

 by the deliverance of the soil from such a pest. 



WHITE HORSE NETTLE 

 Solatium elceagnifolium, Cav. 



Other English names: Prickly Nightshade, Silver-leaved Nightshade, 



Blue-top, Trompillo. 



Native. Perennial. Propagates by seeds and by rootstocks. 

 Time of bloom : May to September. 

 Seed-time : July to November. 

 Range: Missouri and Kansas to 



Texas and Arizona. 

 Habitat : Plains and prairies ; 



meadows, pastures, cultivated 



grounds ; invades all crops. 



Stems one to three feet high, 

 slender, branching, silver- white 

 with a dense, scurf-like covering of 

 fine, many-rayed hairs, and beset 

 with slender, very sharp prickles, 

 or these are often lacking. Leaves 

 oblong to lance-shaped, obtuse, 

 wavy-edged or entire, covered with 

 fine, star-shaped, white hairs, and 

 narrowed abruptly at the base to 

 short, prickly petioles. Flowers in 

 cymose clusters, appearing terminal 

 but soon becoming lateral, between FlQ 256 ._ whi t e Horse Nettle 



the leaf axils ; Corolla violet or light (Solanum eheagnifolium). 



