Flora of New Zealand Series

deadly nightshade

Herb 1-1.5 m tall. Petiole to c. 7 cm long on lower lvs, much shorter on upper. Lamina 6-25 × 3-11 cm, elliptic-ovate, with short glandular hairs mainly on veins; base decurrent (lower lvs) or cuneate (upper lvs); apex acute to short-acuminate. Fls pendulous on recurved pedicels c. 2 cm long. Calyx 1.3-2 cm long, lobed to c. 1/2 way; lobes ± triangular, acute to acuminate. Corolla 2.3-3 cm long, campanulate, brownish purple or mauvish, tinged green; lobes c. 5 mm long, acute. Berry broad-ovoid and slightly flattened, 1.2-1.8 cm diam., glossy black with purple juice.

S.: Canterbury (Christchurch), usually eradicated because of potential danger from poisoning.

Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa 1904

Gardens, waste land.

FL Nov-Apr.

Poisonous (Connor 1977).

Deadly nightshade is one of the most dangerous plants in N.Z., but is occasionally cultivated for its powerful alkaloids such as the drug atropine. Unfortunately the common name deadly nightshade is often erroneously given to the much less toxic black nightshade group, especially Solanum nigrum, S. chenopodioides and probably S. americanum. These spp. are very distinct from A. bella-donna, particularly in the fls (Fig. 111 and 116), and in lf and fr. size. A form of A. bella-donna with yellowish green frs is in cultivation but it is not known to be wild here.

Fig. 111. Fls of Atropa and Cestrum. A A. bella-donna; B C. elegans; C C. parqui. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X3Q]