Solanum elaeagnifolium

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Solanales

Familia: Solanaceae
Subfamilia: Solanoideae
Tribus: Solaneae
Genus: Solanum
Subgenus: S. subg. Leptostemonum
Sectio: S. sect. Leprophora
Species: Solanum elaeagnifolium
Name

Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. (1795: 22)

Lectotype: S.c. s.n. (MA-476348-2, MA)
Isolectotype: MA (MA-476348-1)
Designated by Knapp (2007).
Type locality: Cultivated in Madrid from "America calidiore" ["del viaje de los españoles alrededor del mundo, Cult. en el R. J. Bot. 1793"]
Chromosome count: 2n=24,48,72 (Heiser & Whitaker, 1948:184; Chiarini, 2014)

Synonyms

(After Knapp et al., 2017)

Heterotypic

Solanum leprosum Ortega (1800: 115)
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. leprosum (Ortega) Dunal (1858:291
Neotype: s.c. s.n. (MA-334600, MA)
Isoneotypes?: MA (MA-334600/2, MA-334600/3)
Designated by Knapp (2013).
Type locality: Cultivated in Real Jardin Botánico de Madrid, seeds sent by L. Née.
Solanum obtusifolium Dunal (1816:26)
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. obtusifolium (Dunal) Dunal (1858:291
Holotype: A. Humboldt & A. Bonpland s.n. (P001136347, P-BPL)
Type locality: Mexico. Hidalgo: "prope Regla et Totonilco [Atotonilco] el Grande, 1200 hex"
Solanum saponaceum Hook. (1826:pl. 2697), nom. illeg. non S. saponaceum
Dunal (1813)
Lectotype: J. Gillies Solanum-2 (K000546062, K)
Designated by Vorontsova and Knapp (2016:150).
Type locality: Argentina. Mendoza: near Río Saladillo, 16 Nov 1820.
Solanum flavidum Torr. (1828:227)
Lectotype: E. James s.n. (NY00759814, NY)
Designated by Vorontsova and Knapp (2016:150).
Type locality: United States of America. "from Mississippi River to Rocky Mtns.", summer 1820.
Solanum dealbatum Lindl. (1830:52)
Lectotype: J. McRae s.n. (K000546063, K)
Designated by Vorontsova and Knapp (2016:151).
Type locality: Chile. Cumbre "Andium Claustrum", 1826.
Solanum texense Engelm. & A.Gray (1845:227)
Lectotype: F. Lindheimer [66] 135 [fasc. I 1843] (MO-3847597, MO)
Isolectotypes: MO (MO-360819), BM (BM000514925), GH (GH00217439), LE (2 sheets)
Designated by Vorontsova and Knapp (2016:151).
Type locality: United States of America. Texas: Brazos [River], Jun 1843.
Solanum roemerianum Scheele (1848:767)
Type: No material cited, possible material (Knapp et al., 2017): F. Roemer s.n. (BM000942973, BM)
Type locality: United States of America. Texas: Travis County, Austin, Apr.
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. grandiflorum Griseb. (1879:255)
Holotype: P. Lorentz & G. Hieronymus 1243 (GOET003503, GOET)
Isototypes: CORD (CORD00006119), GOET (GOET003504)
Type locality: Argentina. Catamarca: Sin. loc., Nov 1872.
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. argyrocroton Griseb. (1879:255)
Holotype: P. Lorentz & G. Hieronymus 533 (GOET003502, GOET)
Isototypes: CORD (CORD00006120)
Type locality: Argentina. Tucumán: between La Oiada and border of provincias Tucumán and Salta, Feb 1873.
Solanum elaeagnifolium f. albiflorum Cockerell (1893:410)
Lectotype: T. Cockerell s.n. (NY00759810, NY)
Designated by Knapp et al. (2017), who list this name as a variety, although the note (and the text later in Knapp et al. themselves!) clearly uses the term "forma".
Type locality: U.S.A. Texas: El Paso County, El Paso, 1893, T. Cockerell s.n.
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. angustifolium Kuntze (1898:225)
Lectotype: O. Kuntze s.n. (NY00139141, NY)
Designated by Vorontsova and Knapp (2016:151).
Type locality: Argentina. Santiago del Estero: San Rafael.
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. benkei Standl. (1932:176)
Holotype: H. Benke 5209 (F-642429, F; F neg. 49341])
Type locality: United States of America. Texas: Cameron County, Brownsville, near mouth of Rio Grande, 20 Mar 1930.

References

Primary

Cavanilles, A.I. 1795–1796. Icones et descriptiones plantarum, quae aut sponte in Hispania crescunt, aut in hortis hospitantur. Vol. III. X + 50 pp,, tab. 201–300. Ex Regia Typographia, Matriti [Madrid]. Biblioteca Digital Reference page.
Cockerell, T.D.A. (1893) Solanum elaeagnifolium, forma albiflorum. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 20(10):410–411. JSTOR.
Engelmann, G. & Gray, A. (1845) Plantae Lindheimerianae: an enumeration of the plants collected in Texas and distributed to subscribers by F. Lindheimer with remarks and descriptions of new species.Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5(2):210–264.
Dunal, M.F. (1816) Solanorum Generumque Affinium Synopsis. Renaud, Montpellier. 51 pp. ARK: 12148/bpt6k97706h . Reference page.
Dunal, M.F. 1852. "Solanaceae". in de Candolle (Ed.) Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis 13(1):1–690. V. Masson, Paris. BHL. Reference page.
Grisebach, A. (1879) Symbolae ad Floram Argentinam: Zweite Bearbeitung argentinischer Pfalnzen. Abh. Königl. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen 24:1–345.
Hooker, J.D. (1826) Solanum Saponaceum. Soap-Berried Solanum. Curtis's Bot. Mag. 53:2697.
Kuntze, O. 1898. Revisio generum plantarum vascularium omnium atque cellularium multarum secundum leges nomenclaturae internationales cum enumeratione plantarum exoticarum in itinere mundi collectarum. Pars IIIII. VI+201+576 pp. Arthur Felix, Leipzig [etc.] BHL Biblioteca Digital Reference page.
Lindley, J. (1830) Report upon the New or Rare Plants which flowered in the Garden of the Horticultural Society at Chiswich, between March, 1825, and March, 1826, Part I: Tender Plants. Trans. Hortic. Soc. London 7:46–75.
Ortega, C.G. (1800) Novarum, aut Rariorum Plantarum Horti Reg. Botan. Matrit. Descriptionum Decades, Decade 9-10. Pp. 109-138. Madrid: Imprenta Real.
Scheele, A. (1848) Beiträge zur Flor von Texas. Linnaea 21:453–472,576–608,747–768.
Standley, P.C. (1932) Records of United States plants, chiefly from the Chicago region. Rhodora 34(405):174–177. JSTOR.
Torrey, J. (1828) Some account of a collection of plants made during a journey to and from the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1820, by Edwin P. James, M.D. Assistant Surgeon U.S. Army. Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2:161–180,191–254

Secondary

Chiarini, F.E. 2014: Variation in rDNA loci of polyploid Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae) New Zealand journal of botany, 52(3): 277–284. DOI: 10.1080/0028825X.2014.888087 Reference page.
Heiser, C.B. & Whitaker, T.W. (1948) Chromosome Number, Polyploidy, and Growth Habit in California Weeds. Am. J. Bot., 35(3):179–186. DOI: 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1948.tb05204.x. JSTOR.
Knapp, S. 2007. Lectotypification of Cavanilles' names in Solanum (Solanaceae). Anales del Jardin Botánico de Madrid 64(2): 195–203. DOI: 10.3989/ajbm.2007.v64.i2.175 Open access. Reference page.
Knapp, S. (2013) Typification of Solanum (Solanaceae) described by Casimiro Gómez Ortega. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 70(1):56–61. DOI: 10.3989/ajbm.2340.
Knapp, S., Sagona, E., Carbonell, A.K.Z. & Chiarini, F.E. 2017. A revision of the Solanum elaeagnifolium clade (Elaeagnifolium clade; subgenus Leptostemonum, Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 84: 1–104. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.84.12695 Open access. Reference page.
Vorontsova, M.S. & Knapp, S. (2016) A revision of the "spiny solanums", Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (Solanaceae) in Africa and Madagascar. Syst. Bot. Monogr., 99. 432 pp. Ann Arbor: American Society of Plant Taxonomists. ISBN 978-1-943751-00-6.

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: Silwerblaarbitterappel, Satansbos, Bloubos
català: Alberginiera borda
Deutsch: Ölweidenblättriger Nachtschatten
Ελληνικά, Κυπριακά: Αγριομελιντζάνα, Σόλανο
English: Silver-leaved Nightshade, Silverleaf Nightshade, silverleaf bitter apple
español: Capiquí, Meloncillo de Campo, Meloncillo de Olor, Quillo-Quillo, Revienta Caballo, Suriñado, Tomatillo, Tomatito de Buena Mujer, Trompillo, Tutiá Chico,
suomi: Kilsekoiso
français: Morelle jaune, Morelle à feuilles de chalef
עברית: סולנום זיתני
Diné bizaad: Nááʼ łitsooí
русский: паслён линейнолистный
svenska: Silverskatta

Solanum elaeagnifolium, the silverleaf nightshade[1] or silver-leaved nightshade, is a common native plant to parts of the southwestern USA, and sometimes weed of western North America and also found in South America. Other common names include prairie berry, silverleaf nettle, white horsenettle or silver nightshade. In South Africa it is known as silver-leaf bitter-apple or satansbos ("Satan's bush" in Afrikaans). More ambiguous names include "bull-nettle", "horsenettle" and the Spanish "trompillo".[2] The plant is also endemic to the Middle East.[3]

Solanum elaeagnifolium was described by A. J. Cavanilles. The plant described under the same name by W. Herbert and C. L. Willdenow based on E.G. von Steudel is Solanum aethiopicum.

Description and ecology

It is a perennial 10 cm[4] to 1 m in height. The stems are covered with nettle-like prickles,[5] ranging from very few on some plants to very dense on others. Leaves and stems are covered with downy hairs (trichomes) that lie against and hide the surface, giving a silvery or grayish appearance.[6]
Closeup of S. elaeagnifolium flower
Closeup of S. elaeagnifolium berries

The leaves are up to 15 cm long and 0.5 to 2.5 cm wide, with shallowly waved edges, which distinguish it from the closely related Carolina Horsenettle (S. carolinense), which has wider, more deeply indented leaves. The flowers, appearing from April to August, have five petals united to form a star, ranging from blue to pale lavender or occasionally white; five yellow stamens and a pistil form a projecting center. The plant produces glossy yellow, orange, or red berries that last all winter and may turn brown as they dry.[6]

Its range is from Kansas south to Louisiana, and west through the Mexican-border states of the United States into Mexico, as well as Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile.[7] It may have originated in North America and was accidentally introduced to South America[8] or the reverse.[7] It can grow in poor soil with very little water. It spreads by rhizomes as well as seeds, and is common in disturbed habitats. It is considered a noxious weed in 21 U.S. states and in countries such as Australia, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.[9] It is toxic to livestock and very hard to control, as root stocks less than 1 cm long can regenerate into plants.[10] However, some gardeners encourage it as a xeriscape ornamental.

The Pima Indians used the berries as a vegetable rennet, and the Kiowa used the seeds together with brain tissue to tan leather.[8]
Toxicity

Ingestion of silverleaf nightshade has been implicated as a cause of ivermectin toxicosis in horses given the recommended dosage of the drug. Metabolites from the plant are speculated to disrupt the blood-brain barrier, allowing ivermectin to enter and disrupt neurotransmitter function in the brain and spinal cord.[11]
Synonyms
Flowering branch of S. elaeagnifolium

This plant has been described under a range of names, all now invalid. These contain many homonyms among them:[12]

Solanum dealbatum Lindl.
Solanum flavidum Torr.
Solanum incanum Pav. ex Dunal (non L.: preoccupied)

S. incanum of Ruiz & Pavón Jiménez is S. albidum as described by Dunal.
S. incanum of Kitaibel based on Kanitz is S. villosum as described by Philip Miller
S. incanum of Scheff. is S. schefferi.
S. incanum var. lichtensteinii and var. subexarmatum are S. lichtensteinii.

Solanum leprosum Ortega
Solanum obtusifolium Dunal (non Willd.: preoccupied)

S. obtusifolium of Hartweg based on Otto Sendtner in von Martius is S. ferrugineum.
S. obtusifolium of Willdenow is S. aethiopicum.

Solanum pyriforme var. uniflorum Dunal
Solanum roemerianum Scheele
Solanum saponaceum Hook. (non Dunal: preoccupied)

S. saponaceum of Welwitsch is S. aculeastrum.
S. saponaceum var. uruguense is S. bonariense.

Solanum texense Engelm. & A.Gray
Solanum uniflorum Meyen ex Nees (non Dunal: preoccupied)

S. uniflorum of de Conceição Vellozo is S. pseudocapsicum.
S. uniflorum of Sessé & Mociño and S. uniflorum of Dunal in Poiret have been identified as Lycianthes mociniana.
S. uniflorum of Lagasca y Segura and Solanum uniflorum var. berterianum are undetermined species of Lycianthes.

Several varieties and forms of S. elaeagnifolium have been named. They are not usually considered taxonomically distinct:[12]

Solanum elaeagnifolium f. albiflorum Cockerell
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. angustifolium Kuntze

Not to be confused with S. angustifolium of Philip Miller

Solanum elaeagnifolium var. argyrocroton Griseb.
Solanum elaeagnifolium f. benkei Standl.
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. grandiflorum Griseb.

Not to be confused with S. grandiflorum of Ruiz and Pavón Jiménez

Solanum elaeagnifolium var. leprosum (Ortega) Dunal
Solanum elaeagnifolium var. obtusifolium (Dunal) Dunal

S. elaeagnifolium var. ovalifolium does not refer to the S. ovalifolium as described by Dunal and does not belong to the present species; it is actually S. aridum. Meanwhile, S. crispum var. elaeagnifolium is just the normal S. crispum of Ruiz and Pavón Jiménez.[12]
References

USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Solanum elaeagnifolium". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
Cronquist et al. (1984), USDA (2006)
Mohammed al-Oudat and Manzoor Qadir, The Halophytic Flora of Syria, Aleppo 2011, p. 31
Niehaus et al. (1984)
"Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav". Native Plant Database. The University of Texas at Austin. June 25, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
Cronquist et al. (1984)
USDA (2006)
WSNWCB (2008)
Nugent (2005), WSNWCB (2008)
CDFA [2008]
Swor, TM; Whittenburg, JL; Chaffin, MK (2009). "Ivermectin toxicosis in three adult horses". J Am Vet Med Assoc. 235 (5): 558–62. doi:10.2460/javma.235.5.558. PMID 19719447. S2CID 8046553.

Solanaceae Source [2008]

Footnotes

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) [2008]: Encycloweedia – Solanum part 2. Retrieved 2008-SEP-26.
Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Arthur H.; Holmgren, Noel H.; Reveal, James L. & Holmgren, Patricia K. (1984): Intermountain Flora; Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. (Vol. 4. Subclass Asteridae except Asteraceae). The New York Botanical Garden. ISBN 0-89327-248-5
Niehaus, Theodore F.; Ripper, Charles L. & Savage, Virginia (1984): A Field Guide to Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers. Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN 0-395-36640-2
Nugent, Martin (ed.) (2005): Oregon Invasive Species Action Plan. PDF fulltext
Solanaceae Source [2008]: Solanum elaeagnifolium. Retrieved 2008-SEP-26.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2006): Germplasm Resources Information Network - Solanum elaeagnifolium. Version of 2006-JAN-14. Retrieved 2008-SEP-26.
Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board (WSNWCB) (2008): Silverleaf Nightshade. Version of 2008-JUL-09. Retrieved 2008-SEP-26.