silverleaf nightshade
Family
SolanaceaeScientific Name
Solanum eleaegnifolium
Leaves
Leaves: Arranged alternately along the stem, linear to oblong in outline, ranging from 2 to 6 inches in length. Leaves are covered with star-shaped hairs and have a silver to grayish cast.
Stems: Stems may reach as much as 3 1/3 feet in height. Stems are branching and usually have spines. Stems also have a silver to grayish cast and are covered with star-shaped hairs.
Identifying Characteristics
The grayish or silvery cast that is typical of the leaves and stems of silverleaf nightshade helps to distinguish this weed from most others.
Flower Seed Head
Roots: Fibrous roots with rhizomes.
Flowers: Consist of purple to blue petals and a yellow center (anthers) that collectively resemble a star. Flowers occur in clusters at the ends of stems.
Seed Fruit
Fruit: A round berry, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Berries are green when immature and turn yellow to brown with maturity
Seedlings: Cotyledons are linear and covered with hairs. Stems below the cotyledons (hypocotyls) are covered with hairs and often purple-tinged.
Where Found
Silverleaf nightshade is primarily a weed of agronomic crops, pastures, hay fields, and roadsides that is distributed throughout the southeastern United States.
Growth Habit
upright and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
present
Approximate Flower Diameter
larger
Dominant Flower Color
purple
Flower Symmetry
bilateral symmetry
Leaf Hairs
no hairs
Leaf Shape
lance
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
wavy
Leaf Structure
trifoliate
Leaf Stalk
shorter than leaf
Stem Hairs
no hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
taproot
Life Cycle
perennial
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb