Flora of New Zealand Series

velvety nightshade

Greyish, velvety-tomentose, unarmed perennial herb or subshrub to c. 1.5 m tall; mature stems with 2 ridges. Petioles to 3 cm long. Lamina (1.5)-2.5-11 × (0.5)-1-6 cm, ovate or lanceolate-ovate, tomentose above and below, entire or nearly so; base attenuate; apex acute to acuminate. Cymes umbellate; peduncles very variable in length; pedicels becoming strongly deflexed at fruiting. Calyx 2-3 mm long; lobes very small, somewhat accrescent, lanceolate to oblong or elliptic. Corolla 8-13 mm diam., white; lobes lanceolate or narrowly triangular, densely hairy outside, soon reflexing. Anthers 1.5-3 mm long. Berry 5-7 mm diam., globose, dull purplish black or purple; stone cells 0. Seeds 1-1.5 mm long, suborbicular.

N.: Aupouri Peninsula, Parengarenga (N. Auckland), Auckland, Rangitikei R., Manawatu, Wellington area; S.: particularly on the W. side, common in many places.

S.E. South America 1958

Forest margins, hedgerows, river and lakeside scrub, cultivated areas such as the shadier parts of gardens, plantations, shelter belts, and orchards.

FL Jan-Dec.

Velvety nightshade was apparently first collected at Greymouth in 1941 and has greatly increased in recent years in many parts of N.Z. It has also been recorded as S. gracile, S. gracilius, S. ottonis, and S. sublobatum in N.Z.