''Solanum xanti'', known commonly as chaparral nightshade, purple nightshade, and San Diego nightshade, is a member of the genus ''
Solanum''. It is native to the
Western United States in
Arizona,
California,
Nevada, and
Oregon, and to northwest Mexico in
Baja California.
[Jepson](_blank)
. accessed 1.27.2013
The plant grows in
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
,
oak woodlands, conifer forests, desert
Madrean Sky Islands, and other
habitats.
Description
''Solanum xanti'' is a perennial herb or
subshrub
A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...
producing a branching hairy stem up to about in maximum height. The leaves are up to 7 centimeters long and are lance-shaped to oval, mostly unlobed except for occasional lobes at the bases of the blades.
It flowers from February to June in the wild, bearing an
umbel-shaped
inflorescence with many purple-blue flowers up to 3 centimeters wide. The fruit is a green
berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
1 to 1.5 centimeters wide.
Varieties
Varieties of the species include:
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''glabrescens'' — (
endemic to
California)
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''hoffmannii'' — Hoffmann's nightshade (endemic to California)
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''intermedium'' — (endemic to California)
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''montanum''
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''obispoense'' — San Luis Obispo nightshade (endemic to California)
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''xanti''
Cultivation
The plant is cultivated as an
ornamental plant by specialty
plant nurseries for planting in perennial border,
drought-tolerant and
native plant gardens. It grows from sunny locations to dry shade, such as under native oaks.
The plant is deer resistant, due to its toxic qualities.
In common with many other members in the Solanaceace family, all parts of the plant are toxic, especially the unripe fruit. Toxicity is from Solanine and glycol-alkaloids, chaconine, and solasodine. There is no antidote for Solanum poisoning. Symptoms include:
* Cardiovascular system (tachycardia, arrhythmia, and hypotension)
* Central nervous system (delirium, psychomotor, agitation, paralysis, coma, and convulsion)
* Gastrointestinal track (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
;Selections
Cultivars and varieties available include:
*''Solanum xanti'' var. ''hoffmannii'' — Hoffmann's nightshade (long bloom period)
*''Solanum xanti'' 'Mountain Pride' — Mountain Pride purple nightshade (large dark purple flowers)
San Marcos Growers: ''Solanum xanti'' 'Mountain Pride'
/ref>
See also
* List of California native plants
*California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California (United States) and northwestern Baja California (Mexico), located on the west coast of North America. It is a ...
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Solanum xanti''''Solanum xanti'' — U.C. Photo gallery
{{-
xanti
Flora of Arizona
Flora of Baja California
Flora of California
Flora of Nevada
Flora of Oregon
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Natural history of the Channel Islands of California
Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
Garden plants of North America
Drought-tolerant plants
Flora without expected TNC conservation status