Taxonomy
Family: Solanaceae
Habitat
Dry, sandy soil. Fields, upland woods and prairies.
Associates
Distribution
CT to MI, MN, and CO, south to SC, AL, and AZ.
Morphology
Rhizomatous perennial to 60 cm; stems and petioles pubescent with short, mostly recurved or retrorse hairs. Leaves opposite, mostly more than 1.7 times as long as wide, ovate to lanceolate, acute, toothed to entire, narrowing at the base into a long petiole. Flowers mostly solitary from the nodes on dropping pedicels; calyx evenly pubescent; petals 5, yellow, with a darkened spot at the base. Fruit a red-orange, pulpy, many-seeded berry enclosed by a papery husk formed by the sepals.
Notes
Flowers April to August
Wetland indicator: Obligate
The ripe fruits are edible and sweet. The unripe fruit and vegetation are poisonous, possibly causing gastroenteritis, burning in the throat, fever and diarrhea if ingested.
References
Foster, S. and R.A. Caras. 1994. A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants: North America North of Mexico.
Houghton Mifflin Company. New York, NY. 244 pp.
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Peterson, L. A. 1977. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America
Houghton Mifflin Company. New York, NY
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
Michael Hough © 2009 |