American black nightshade (Solanum americanum)

American black nightshade or Solanum nigrum americanum (Solanum americanum) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae, annual or short-lived shrub, erect, growing to 1-1.5 meters in height, stems cylindrical, branched, green or black in color and may or may not be scaly.

S. americanum has leaves alternate on the branches and has a long stalk up to 4cm. Strands vary widely in size, up to 14 cm long, up to 10 cm wide, blunt base, pointed tip, flat margins, dark green.





Flowers have a diameter of about 1 cm, white or sometimes light purple and yellow stamens. The fruit is a berry and has a long stalk, green and glossy black, 5-10 mm in diameter and contains many small seeds.

Research shows the presence of toxic glycoalkaloids and cautions against using herbal medicines and foods. The green fruit is very poisonous and eating the unripe berries has resulted in the death of children. Ripe berries and leaves can also cause poisoning, although the toxicity appears to decrease with cooking. This is through high levels of glycoalkaloids, solanine and solamargine.

Other toxins present in the plant include chaconine, solasonine, solanigrine, gitogenin and traces of saponins, as well as the tropane alkaloids scopolamine (hyoscine), atropine and hyoscyamine. Large amounts of solasodine (0.65%) have been found in green berries. The ripe fruit also contains 0.3-0.45% solasonine and acetylcholine, and has a cholinesterase inhibitory effect in human plasma.

The high incidence of esophageal cancer is thought to be due to the use of this plant as food. Livestock can also be poisoned by high nitrate levels in the leaves. Toxicity varies greatly depending on the genetic strain and site conditions, such as soil and rainfall.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Solaneae
Genus: Solanum L. in Sp. Pl.: 184 (1753)
Complex: Solanum nigrum
Species: Solanum americanum Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 5 (1768)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Solanum nigrum var. americanum (Mill.) O.E.Schulz in Symb. Antill. 6: 160 (1909)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Solanum amarantoides Dunal in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 55 (1852)
Solanum americanum var. nodiflorum (Jacq.) Edmonds in J. Arnold Arbor. 52: 634 (1971)
Solanum americanum subsp. nodiflorum (Jacq.) R.J.F.Hend. in Austrobaileya 2: 555 (1988)
Solanum americanum subsp. nutans (R.J.F.Hend.) R.J.F.Hend. (1988)
Solanum americanum var. odishense Kalidass & P.Murugan in Bangladesh J. Bot. 23: 83 (2016)
Solanum americanum var. patulum (L.) Edmonds in Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 75: 171 (1977)
Solanum asperum Hornem. ex Walp. in Repert. Bot. Syst. 3: 49 (1844)
Solanum calvum Bitter in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 81 (1913)
Solanum curtipes Bitter in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 228 (1912)
Solanum depilatum Bitter (1913)
Solanum desvauxii Ham. in Prodr. Pl. Ind. Occid.: 26 (1825)
Solanum dillenii Schult. in Oestr. Fl., ed. 2, 1: 393 (1814)
Solanum erythrocarpon G.Mey. in Prim. Fl. Esseq.: 109 (1818)
Solanum imerinense Bitter in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 49: 566 (1913)
Solanum inconspicuum Bitter (1912)
Solanum indecorum A.Rich. in Hist. Fis. Cuba 11: 121 (1850)
Solanum inops Dunal (1852)
Solanum merrillianum Liou in Contr. Inst. Bot. Natl. Acad. Peiping 3: 455 (1935)
Solanum microspermum Dunal in Solan. Syn.: 12 (1816)
Solanum minutibaccatum Bitter in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 549 (1912)
Solanum minutibaccatum subsp. curtipedunculatum Bitter (1912)
Solanum nigrum var. aguaraquiya (Sendtn.) Witasek in Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 79(advance separate): 13 (1910)
Solanum nigrum subsp. aguaraquiya Sendtn. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 10: 17 (1846)
Solanum nigrum var. angulosum Sendtn. (1846)
Solanum nigrum var. dillenii (Schult.) A.Gray in Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 2(1): 228 (1878)
Solanum nigrum subsp. dillenii (Schult.) Schur in Enum. Pl. Transsilv.: 478 (1866)
Solanum nigrum f. grandifolium O.E.Schulz (1909)
Solanum nigrum var. heterogonum (Dunal) Witasek (1910)
Solanum nigrum var. minus Hook.f. in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 20: 201 (1847)
Solanum nigrum var. nodiflorum (Jacq.) A.Gray (1878)
Solanum nigrum subsp. nodiflorum (Jacq.) Sendtn. (1846)
Solanum nigrum f. nodiflorum (Jacq.) Miq. in Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 637 (1857)
Solanum nigrum var. oleraceum (Dunal) Hitchc. in Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 4: 111 (1893)
Solanum nigrum f. parvifolium O.E.Schulz (1909)
Solanum nigrum var. patulum L. in Sp. Pl.: 186 (1753)
Solanum nigrum var. pauciflorum Liou (1935)
Solanum nigrum f. rumphii (Dunal) Miq. (1857)
Solanum nigrum f. uniflorum Miq. (1857)
Solanum nigrum var. violaceum H.Y.Chen ex Wessely in Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 63: 293 (1960)
Solanum nodiflorum Desv. ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum nodiflorum Jacq. in Collectanea 2: 288 (1788)
Solanum nodiflorum var. macrophyllum Dunal (1852)
Solanum nodiflorum subsp. nutans R.J.F.Hend. in Contr. Queensland Herb. 16: 30 (1974)
Solanum nodiflorum var. petiolastrum Dunal (1852)
Solanum nodiflorum var. sapucayense Chodat in Bull. Soc. Bot. Genève, sér. 2, 8: 150 (1916)
Solanum nodiflorum var. sativum A.Chev. in Explor. Bot. Afrique Occ. Franç. 1: 464 (1920)
Solanum oleraceum Dunal in J.L.M.Poiret, Encycl., Suppl. 3: 750 (1814)
Solanum pachystylum Polgar in Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 69: 280 (1939)
Solanum papilionaceum Dum.Cours. in Bot. Cult. 2: 135 (1801)
Solanum patulum (L.) Roth in Catal. Bot. 2: 23 (1800)
Solanum pauciflorum (Liou) H.Y.Zhang in Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 19: 131 (1999)
Solanum photeinocarpum Nakamura & Odash. in J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 8: 54 (1936)
Solanum photeinocarpum var. violaceum (H.Y.Chen ex Wessely) C.Y.Wu & S.C.Huang in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 16(2): 72 (1978),
Solanum pterocaulum Dunal in Hist. Nat. Solanum: 153 (1813)
Solanum pterocaulum var. aguaraquiya (Sendtn.) Dunal (1852)
Solanum pterocaulum var. heterogonum Dunal (1852)
Solanum ptychanthum Dunal (1852)
Solanum quadrangulare L.f. in Suppl. Pl.: 147 (1782)
Solanum rumphii Dunal (1813)
Solanum sancti-thomae Bitter (1913)
Solanum sciaphilum Bitter (1912)
Solanum strictum Zuccagni in Cent. Observ. Bot.: 20 (1806)
Solanum suffruticosum var. merrillianum (Liou) C.Y.Wu & S.C.Huang in Fl. Hainan. 3: 586 (1974)
Solanum tenellum Bitter (1912)
Solanum tenuiflorum Steud. in Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2. 2: 606 (1841)
Solanum umbelliferum Torr. in Pacif. Railr. Rep. Parke, Bot.: 12 (1856)

PUBLICATIONS

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Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2023). Flora of North America North of Mexico 14: 1-505. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Florence, J., Waldren, S. & Chepstow-Lusty, A.J. (1995). The flora of the Pitcairn islands: a review. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 56: 79-119.

Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].

Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

Knapp, S., Särkinen, T. & Barboza, G.E. (2023). A revision of the South American species of the Morelloid clade (Solanum L., Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 231: 1-342.

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Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Liogier, A.H. (1994). Flora de la Española 6: 1-517. Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2022). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 4: 1-522. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sarder, N.U. & Hassan, M.A. (eds.) (2018). Vascular flora of Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts 3: 1-978. Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka.

Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (eds.) (2020). Flore du Gabon 55: 1-137. Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris; Margraf Publishers, Weikersheim; Meise Botanic Garden.

Särkinen, T. & al. (2018). A revision of the Old World black nightshades (Morelloid clade of Solanum L., Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 106: 1-223.

Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.

Whistler, A. (2018). Flora of Tokelau: 1-126. Isle Botanica, Honolulu.

Whistler, W.A. (2022). Flora of Samoa Flowering Plants: 1-930. National Tropical Botanicl Garden. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

VERNACULAR NAME

Bengali: গুরকামাই Gurkamai
Chinese (simplified): 少花龙葵
Chinese (traditional): 少花龍葵 - 光果龍葵
Czech: Lilek americký
Danish: Storfrugtet natskygge
Dutch: Schermnachtschade
English: American black nightshade, American nightshade, Glossy nightshade, Smallflower nightshade, Small-flowered nightshade, Australian black nightshade
Filipino: Anti, Bolagtab, Kuti
Finnish: Amerikankoiso
French: Morelle d'Amérique, Brède morelle
Guangdong: 少花龍葵
Hawaiian: Pōpolo
Hindi: ගුර්කාමායි - චිර්පොටි - ගුර්කාමායි Gurkamai, Chirpoti, Gurkkamai
Hong Kong: 少花龍葵
Indonesia: Takokak Manik, Ceri manik
Japanese: テリミノイヌホオズキ - カンザシイヌホオズキ
Java: Ceri manik, Takokak manik
Kannada: Kaaki, Kaachi, Bellaganike, Ganike, Kaagehannina gida, Kaakamaachi
Korean: 미국까마중
Macao: 少花龍葵
Malayalam: Manatakkali, Nelen-tsjunda, Karimtakkali
Malaysia: Ranti, Terong meranti, Terong perat
Manipuri: Heimuhei
Marathi: Kaamoni, Lalgooka batooli
Nepali: गुरकामाई Gurakāmā'ī
Norwegian: Adventivsøtvier
PNG: Karakap
Portuguese: Maria-pretinha, Erva-moura
Russian: Паслён американский
Sanskrit: Kakamachi, Bahuphala, Bahutikta
Sinhala: කකාචි Kakāci
Slovak: Luľok americký
Spanish: Hierba mora, Chichiquelite, Quelite, Ekelite, Ají Montesino
Swahili: Muyanya porini
Swedish: Amerikansk nattskatta
Taiwan: 光果龍葵
Tamil: ககாசி Kakaasi
Telugu: Gajuchettu, Kaachi, Kaakamaachi
Thai: มะแว้งนกอเมริกัน
United Kingdom: Small-flowered Nightshade
Urdu: Ab makoh, Makoh khushk

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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