Solanum douglasii

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Solanum douglasii 2004-04-07.jpg

|genus = Solanum

|species = douglasii

|authority = Dunal

}}

Solanum douglasii is a North American species of plant in the family Solanaceae known by the common name greenspot nightshade.{{PLANTS|id=SODO|taxon=Solanum douglasii|accessdate=17 November 2015}}

Description

Solanum douglasii is a perennial herb or subshrub approaching {{Convert|2|m|ft|frac=2}} in maximum height. The stem is coated in short, white hairs. The leaves may be up to {{Convert|9|cm|frac=4}} long and have smooth or toothed edges.

The inflorescence is an umbel-shaped array of flowers with star-shaped white corollas up to a centimeter wide. There are generally green spots at the bases of the corolla lobes. The yellow anthers are a few millimeters in length. Flowers may be seen blooming throughout much of the year.[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7682,7687 Jepson Manual Treatment]

The fruit is a spherical black berry up to {{Convert|1|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} wide.{{Cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLbAAwAAQBAJ |title=Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest |last2=Kuhlmann |first2=Ellen |date=2014 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-1-60469-263-1 |edition=1st |location=Portland, OR |pages=292}}

Distribution and habitat

It is native to the northern half of Mexico and the southwestern south-central United States. Its habitat includes scrub and woodland.

Uses

Many species in the genus are toxic. Native Americans used the juice of the berries medicinally, and the Luiseño used it as dye for tattooing.[http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Solanum+douglasii Ethnobotany]