carolina horsenettle

here is solanum carolinense of the family solanaceae:


this photo was taken spring of 2007 at Mule Jail, near the Pearl River. this flower is in the genus of nightshade and has the poison, however it seems to be in much lower concentration. the stamen look like bananas to me.

black nightshade

this is solanum americanum; it is of the family solanaceae.

this small flower begins to turn purple-ish black as it progress to becoming a berry, whose color is black. this can be seen here. as will all species of night shade, this plant contains a poison called solamine, whose action affects digestion and manifest certain neurological phenomenon, including paralysis and hallucinations. a lethal does for humans can occur at as little as 3 mg. it would appear that the common potato also harbors this poison, though it is only present under certain conditions.

solanum americanum blooms from june to november.