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Greenspot nightshade

Solanum douglasii

Family: Solanaceae Genus: Solanum Species: douglasii

Synonyms: Solanum extusviolascens, Solanum arizonicum, Solanum nigrum var. douglasii, Solanum umbelliferum var. trachycladum, Solanum profundeincisum

Greenspot nightshade (en)
Solanum douglasii โ€” flower
Solanum douglasii โ€” flower

Botanical Description

Solanum douglasii, the greenspot or Douglas's nightshade, is a perennial herb or subshrub of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) reaching up to about 2 meters in height, with stems clothed in short white hairs. Leaves are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, up to 9 centimeters long, with smooth or shallowly toothed margins and slender petioles. The flowers are arranged in small umbrella-shaped cymes; each star-shaped corolla is up to about 1 centimeter wide, white, and characteristically marked with green or yellow-green spots at the bases of the five recurved lobes - the feature that gives the plant its common name. Bright yellow anthers form a central cone, and flowering occurs through most of the year. The fruit is a spherical berry up to 1 centimeter in diameter that ripens from green to glossy black. The species is native to scrub, chaparral, and open woodland of the southwestern and south-central United States and northern Mexico, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Baja California.

Native Region: Arizona, California, Central American Pac, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Texas

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

The Cahuilla of southern California used the juice of the black berries as an eyewash, both to improve failing vision in elderly people and to treat sore, inflamed, or infected eyes such as conjunctivitis ("pink eye") and eye strain (Bean and Saubel, 1972). They also recognised the whole plant as poisonous and used the dark berries as a dye. The neighbouring Luiseno similarly applied berry juice to inflamed eyes and additionally employed it for tattooing, and they cooked the leaves as a green (Sparkman, 1908).

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID
269056

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.