Carolina horsenettle

(Solanum carolinense)

Conservation Status

 

No image available

 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Weed Status
   
 

Restricted Weed Seed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Carolina horsenettle is a 20 to 40 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from deep, creeping, underground rhizomes.

The stems are erect, slender, occasionally branched, and are covered with spreading, star-shaped hairs and scattered, ¼ long, white or yellow spines.

The leaves are alternate, egg-shaped, 2¾ to 4¾ long, and 1½ to 2 ½ wide. They are on short leaf stalks. The margins have 2 to 5 large, wavy teeth or shallow lobes on each side. The upper and lower surfaces are covered with spreading, star-shaped hairs and have scattered spines along the midrib.

The inflorescence is a small cluster of 5 to 20 flowers on hairy stalks. The inflorescence is compact when in flower but quickly elongates when in fruit.

The individual flowers are ¾ to 1¼ wide. There are 5 pale violet to white petals that are widely spreading, united at the base but form no tube at the base. There are 5 stamens with large, thickened, yellow anthers projecting from the center of the petals. The anthers are close together at first, enclosing the style, later spreading when the flower is fully open. The style is longer than the anthers.

The fruit is a smooth, spherical berry, ½ to in diameter, green and striped when young, yellow when ripe. At the base of the fruit the sepals (calyx) has 5 bluntly triangular lobes that are spreading and do not cup the berry.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

20 to 40

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Pale violet to white

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Disturbed sites.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

June to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 

Toxicity

 
 

The foliage and berries are poisonous to humans and livestock.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/7/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

 

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Solanales (nightshades, bindweeds, gooseweeds, and allies)  
 

Family

Solanaceae (nightshade)  
  Subfamily Solanoideae (nightshades and allies)  
  Tribe Solaneae (nightshades and jaltomatas)  
 

Genus

Solanum (nightshades)  
  Subgenus Leptostemonum (spiny solanums)  
  Section Lathyrocarpum  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Solanum carolinense var. carolinense

Solanum carolinense var. floridanum

Solanum floridanum

Solanum godfreyi

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

apple of Sodom

bull nettle

Carolina horse-nettle

Carolina horsenettle

devil’s tomato

horsenettle

sand briar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 
 
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Other Videos
 
  Leaf Footed Bugs on Carolina Horse Nettle Solanaceae Solanum carolinense
Karen Burch
 
   
 
About

Published on Jan 10, 2012

Destructive Leaf footed bug nymphs look very similar to the beneficial Assassin bugs and I am learning the differences of the two.Assassin bugs are usually hunting alone while the leaf footed bugs have family gatherings with the parents being close to the nymphs.

   
  Environmental Laboratory - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
EnvLabERDC
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 15, 2013

Solanum carolinense - Horsenettle

   
  Ground Cherry and Carolina Horse Nettle
pocketsofthefuture
 
   
 
About

Published on Oct 11, 2013

No description available.

   
  Carolina Horsenettle, ワルナスビ
Koji Kimura
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 3, 2013

Carolina Horsenettle, ワルナスビ

   

 

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