Solanum mauritianum Scop.
woolly nightshade
Spreading, unarmed shrub or small tree to 10 m tall and with trunk to 15 cm diam., with all parts stellate-tomentose, the hairs ± sessile to long-stalked. lvs on vegetative and most flowering shoots with prominent stipule-like auricles 5-25 mm long at base; petioles to 6 cm long on flowering shoots, longer on strong vegetative shoots. Lamina 10-25-(40) × 3.5-10-(20) cm, ovate to elliptic, entire, light to dark green on upper surface, white to yellowish green on lower surface; base cuneate; apex usually acuminate but blunt at tip. Panicles dense, many-flowered, corymbose, terminal at first; rachis to 18 cm long, stout; pedicels ± erect at fruiting. Calyx c. 5 mm long, not accrescent; lobes ± elliptic. Corolla 1.5-2 cm diam., usually mauve to purple, occasionally white; lobes ovate or triangular-ovate, stellate-tomentose outside. Anthers 2-3 mm long. Berry c. 1 cm diam., globose, dull yellow; stone cells 0. Seeds 1-2 mm long, oblong-obovoid to suborbicular.
N.: locally common to abundant in N. Auckland and Auckland, scattered further S. as far as Manawatu; S.: Nelson City, several localities in N.W. Nelson.
S. Brazil, Uruguay 1883
Around plantations, forest margins, scrub, waste places and similar open situations around settlements.
FL Jan-Dec.
Possibly poisonous (Connor 1977).
Woolly nightshade soon escaped from cultivation and is now sufficiently common to cause concern in some North Id hill country pastures because it often forms dense stands beneath which little can grow. The sp. is rarely if ever planted now. It is immediately recognisable by its hairy frs, the large and conspicuous auricles on the vegetative shoots, the large entire woolly lvs and by being the only nightshade in N.Z. which forms a small tree. Woolly nightshade has been previously known as S. auriculatum in N.Z.
