Flora-Fauna

Solanum nigrum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 186 (1753).

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 198, Pl. XCIX, 1; 1983)

• Life-form & habit: Annual or perennial, hairless or finely hairy, 20–60 cm tall. Stems and branches distinctly angled but not winged.

• Leaves: Ovate or triangular-rhombic, entire, angular or coarsely wavy-toothed.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Short-stalked cymes bear 3–6, occasionally up to 10 flowers. Corolla white and hairy, twice as long as the calyx; its initially oval lobes later curl back.

• Fruit: Black berries about 6 mm across; fruiting stalks bent backwards and widened at the tip.

• Phenology: Throughout the year.

• Lebanese distribution: Saida, Beirut, Nahr el Kelb, Nahr Ibrahim, Tripoli, Bikfaya and Hasbani, following Mouterde’s records under var. nigrum.

• Syrian distribution: Damascus, coastal Banias, Bhamra and Qanaouat, under var. nigrum.

• Recorded locations: Kornet Chehwan.

• Native range: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andaman Is., Assam, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Central European Russia, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Djibouti, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Gulf States, Hungary, India, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kriti, Krym, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Manchuria, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicobar Is., North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Selvagens, Sicilia, Sinai, South China Sea, South European Russia, Spain, Sudan-South Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Sahara, Yemen.

• Introduced into: Alaska, Altay, Amur, Antipodean Is., Ascension, Baltic States, Belarus, Borneo, British Columbia, Buryatiya, California, Cape Provinces, Chatham Is., Chita, Denmark, District of Columbia, East European Russia, Finland, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Irkutsk, Jawa, Kazakhstan, Kerguelen, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., Magadan, Maine, Malaya, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Northwest, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Guinea, New Jersey, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Norfolk Is., North Carolina, North European Russia, Northern Territory, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Nova Scotia, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Primorye, Queensland, Sakhalin, South Australia, St.Helena, Sumatera, Sweden, Tadzhikistan, Tasmania, Texas, Tristan da Cunha, Utah, Uzbekistan, Victoria, Virginia, Washington, West Siberia, Western Australia.

⚠️ Taxonomic note: The description and named localities follow Mouterde’s typical black-fruited plant. His separate yellow-green-fruited ochroleucum and woody suffruticosum records are not transferred here; a habitat specifically attributable to the typical plant is not stated in this account.