PB Nightshade

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Purple and Blue Wildflower Gallery

Nightshade or Potato family

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A (2)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A (1)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A (4)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A (3)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, A (5)

Short purple variation.

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, B (3)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, B (1)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, B (2)

Western Horse-nettle, Solanum dimidiatum, B

Tall lavender variation.

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Western Horse-nettle Solanum dimidiatum
Small lavender flower. Large green leaves are entire or deeply notched. 1" round pale yellow fruit, poisonous. Leaf has deep pointed lobes. Plants stems and leaves are covered in stickers and sticky hairs.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April-June 2004, June 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, etc.)
See similar Buffalo-bur

Form: erect, often branched, branches gray and hairy, fewer spines which are flat and yellow up to 1/4" long
Leaves: large leaves with irregular wavy margins, hairy
Inflorescence: terminal clusters.
Flowers: 1"-2" wide with five "petals", purple to lavender to white
Calyx: six lobed, wide tapering to a points
Fruits: 1" sphere, pale yellow

Similar Species

Carolina Horse Nettle Solanum carolinense
Flower about 1" wide.; Color can be purple, white, or a mix; I have only seen the purple ones. Yellow, banana-shaped anthers spread apart. Yellow berries grow in clusters. Large leaves have pointed lobes which are slightly wavy. Plants stems and leaves are covered in stickers and sticky hairs. A white flowered variation (or subspecies) is often misidentified as Bull Nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus.
(Native of Texas - Tom Green)

Form: erect, few branches, branches hairy, spines up to 1/4" long
Leaves: large leaves with wavy toothed or shallow lobed margins, hairy, prickles on rib and veins
Inflorescence: 5-20-flowers in leaf axils.
Flowers: 3/4"-1 1/4" wide with five "petals", purple to lavender to white
Calyx: five lobed, hairy, lanceolate
Fruits: 1/2"-3/4" sphere, yellow

Deadly Nightshade (Belladonna) Solanum interius
Purple flower with a ring of white dots near center. Bush. Prolific yellow fruit, poisonous.
(Introduced, native of Europe - Brown)

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (3)

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (4)

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (1)

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (2)

Silver-Leaf Nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (5)

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Silver-Leaf Nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
Purple flower about 1" wide. Yellow, banana-shaped anthers spread apart. Berries grow in clusters and ripen to yellow or black, poisonous. Narrow leaves are often folded. Stems and leaves are grayish with small hairs, no stickers. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, etc.)

Purple Ground-Cherry, Quincula lobata (1)

Purple Ground-Cherry, Quincula lobata (7)

Purple Ground-Cherry, Quincula lobata (8)

Purple Ground-Cherry, Quincula lobata (9)

Purple Ground-Cherry, Quincula lobata (14)

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Purple Ground-cherry Quincula lobata
Flower about 3/4" wide. Seedpod is a large flat-sided globe. Plant goes dormant in dry weather to bloom with each rain.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April - July 2004, May 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, etc.)
See similar Five Eyes Ground-Cherry

Ornamental Pepper, Capsicum annuum var Explosive Ember

Ornamental Pepper, Capsicum annuum var Explosive Ember (1)

Ornamental Pepper, Capsicum annuum var Explosive Ember (2)

Ornamental Pepper, Capsicum annuum var Explosive Ember (3)

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Ornamental Pepper Capsicum annuum var. Explosive Ember
The flowers are about 1/2" wide. The fruit about 7/8" long. This is not an edible pepper.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, October & December 2004
(Purchased)

Also see:
yellow nightshade white nightshade

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