Horsenettle

June 11, 2015

Solanum carolinense L. Solanaceae (Nightshade family)

Life cycle

Spreading to erect, patchforming perennial.

horsenettle plant
Horsenettle plant.

Leaves

Alternate, egg-shaped, shallowly to deeply lobed, 2 to 5 inches long with sharp, prominent prickles on the leaf veins, midveins and petioles. Star-shaped hairs are present on both leaf surfaces.

horsenettle leaf
Horsenettle leaf.

Stems

Spreading to erect, herbaceous stems with multiple branching, up to 3 feet in height. Stems have sharp, prominent prickles and star-shaped hairs.

horsenettle spines
Sharp, prominent prickles of horsenettle.

Flowers and fruit

Flowers are white to pale purple, star-shaped with five petals fused at the base and found in clusters on prickly flowering stalks. Flower centers consist of bright yellow, cone-shaped anthers. Berries are yellow at maturity, globe-shaped, wrinkled and approximately .5 inch across, and contain up to 170 seeds.

horsenettle berries
Horsenettle mature berries.

Reproduction

Seeds and deeply penetrating vertical to horizontal creeping roots.

Toxicity

All plant parts are toxic to animals.

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