Solanum carolinense L.

Carolina Horse Nettle; Ball Nettle; Carolina Nightshade

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Horse Nettle is a native herbaceous perennial in the Nightshade/Potato family (Solanaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Carolina Horse Nettle occurs on roadsides, in fields, in pastures, in prairies, in disturbed areas, and on sandbars. It is a perennial from thin, creeping rhizomes. The stems are erect, weakly branched, green or reddish purple in color, armed with prickles, and stellate pubescent. The stems are 1-2 ½ feet in height. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, ovate to elliptic in outline, with sinuate or lobed margins. The leaves are pubescent on both surfaces with sessile stellate trichomes with 5-7 rays. The midvein on the lower surface of the leaf often is often armed with prickles. Flowers are produced in terminal racemes. The corolla is star-shaped with 5 white or violet petals united at their base, and 5 tubular yellow stamens. The fruit is a yellow berry. The caterpillars of the Riley's Clearwing Moth (Synanthedon rileyana) and the Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) feed on the foliage. All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid compound solanum and are toxic to mammalian herbivores. The fruit are apparently less toxic than other parts of the plant and are eaten by birds and small mammals which disperse the seed.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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