Solanum carolinense L.
horse nettle
Perennial, stellate-hairy herb to c. 1 m tall, forming an extensive, branching root system giving rise to aerial shoots; stems erect, simple or branched, with scattered straw-coloured prickles. Petioles to c. 4 cm long, sparingly prickly. Lamina 4.5-11 × 2-5 cm, lanceolate-ovate or oblong-ovate, densely hairy on both surfaces, coarsely dentate or lobulate; midrib and sometimes lateral veins sparingly prickly; base cuneate; apex acute. Cymes becoming secund, with several fls, often densely hairy; peduncles to nearly 10 cm long, sometimes nearly = lvs; pedicels ± pendent at fruiting. Calyx 4-6 mm long, slightly prickly towards base; lobes broad-ovate, shallow, apparently not accrescent, cuspidate. Corolla 2-3.5 cm diam., white or pale bluish; lobes ovate, densely covered with stellate hairs. Anthers 5-6 mm long. Berry 1-1.5 cm diam., globose, yellow or orange-yellow; stone cells 0. Seed 1.5-2.5 mm diam., reniform to nearly suborbicular.
N.: Tauranga, Te Puke, and Rotoehu State Forest (Bay of Plenty), Wairoa (Poverty Bay), Waiterimu and Pirongia (Waikato).
N. America 1934
Pasture, waste ground.
FL Jan-Mar.
The perennial, suckering roots of horse nettle immediately distinguish it from any other prickly Solanum spp. in N.Z. This weed could become very troublesome if it became properly naturalised, but it has fortunately remained very rare.
The closely related S. elaeagnifolium, which occurs in Australia, is distinguished by the denser indumentum, entire or almost sinuate lvs, and generally red prickles.
