NIGHTSHADE FAMILY 
( Solanacece) 
(A) Bittersweet; Nightshade [Solarium Dulca¬ 
mara) [European), although an immigrant, is quite 
common in the eastern half of our country. It chooses 
for its habitat, moist thickets or the edges of ponds 
where there are plenty of shrubs to help support it, 
for this species has weak stems. 
The dark green leaves are variable in form; some are 
lobed- others have small lateral leaflets and still others 
have another pair ^of still smaller leaflets on the leaf 
stem. The flowers hang in loose clusters on long pe¬ 
duncles from the axils of the leaves. This species 
blooms from June until September. 
(B) Black Nightshade [Solarium nigrum) is a na¬ 
tive species with a smooth, erect, l ranching stem 1 to 
2 feet high. The long-stemmed ovate leaves have a 
wavy-lobed edge. The five-parted white flowers grow in 
few-flowered clusters from the leaf axils, the round ber¬ 
ries are black when fully ripe, and are quite poisonous. 
This species is found throughout our range. 
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