Cut-leaf nightshade

Solanum triflorum, the cut-leaf nightshade, is an annual herb of the Solanaceae family native to central and western North America and now naturalized in temperate regions worldwide. It is prostrate to weakly ascending, forming low spreading mats 20-60 cm across, with branching, slightly pubescent stems. The alternate leaves are 2-7 cm long, deeply pinnately lobed with three to seven narrow, oblong segments per side, giving the plant its characteristic 'cut-leaf' appearance. The small, white to pale lavender flowers, 6-10 mm across, are borne in axillary clusters typically of two to four (rarely a single triflorous cyme), each with five reflexed lobes and prominent yellow anthers. Fruits are smooth, globose green berries 8-15 mm in diameter, often retaining green or marbled coloration even at maturity, containing many flattened seeds. The plant grows in disturbed sandy soils, prairies, riverbanks, and roadsides. Like related nightshades, unripe berries and foliage contain toxic glycoalkaloids including solanine.