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Solanum seaforthianum

Andrews (1808)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Solanum

brazilian nightshade, star potato vine, vining solanum

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Climbers to 3–4 m tall with slender stems, unarmed, glabrous except with simple, few–celled hairs along leaf margins, on veins of lower surface, and on corolla margins and tips, a few short glandular hairs on peduncles and pedicels.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple, usually pinnatifid. Alternate. Blades ovate in outline, lowest lobe often smaller, other lobes oblanceolate, short–petiolulate or broadly attached, sinuses rounded or acute, ca. 5–8 cm long, partly or completely pinnately divided to midrib into 3–9 lobes. Base oblique. Surfaces with few–celled hairs along leaf margins, on veins of lower surface. Margins deeply incised. Petioles 2–4 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers few to 50 in showy panicles, at first terminal but soon becoming lateral by sympodial growth. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic; Pedicels slender, slightly thickened toward summit, ca. 1 cm long. Calyx tubular, 1–2 mm long, the lobes short and obtuse, margins sub–entire. Corolla mauve blue, stellate, deeply divided, the tube 2–3 mm long, the limb 2–3 cm in diameter, pubescent. Stamens inserted on corolla tube; filaments 2–4 mm long; anthers oblong, stout, slightly unequal, ca. 4 mm long, opening by terminal pores. Ovary superior, glabrous or with a few glandular hairs; style 1, erect, 7–8 mm long; stigma terminal, capitate.

Fruit: Berries globose; ca. 1 cm in diameter. Seeds reddish brown; compressed; 2–3 mm in diameter; shaggy pubescent; Self–compatible.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 32

Habitat: Low elevation disturbed areas; such as roadside thickets.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bot. Repos. 8: t. 504 (1808)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1275 (K, O, Mo, M); Staples et al. 2003:19 (H); Staples & Herbst 2005:535 (KEY), 538 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Solanum seaforthianum Waimea Falls Park garden, kaolite clay Preserved_Specimen vine Lee, J. Oahu BISH 1981-01-01
2 Solanum seaforthianum Koloa, along Kapau Road On weedy cliff face roadside, adjacent to small boat dock area near mouth of valley UNKNOWN . Coordinates do not match to country in source data. Not found a country in reverser geocoding. Bioversity International C. T. Imada Kauai HAPI 3/13/2001
3 Solanum seaforthianum Halawa Valley Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) 2 Molokai BISH 1943-05-30
4 Solanum seaforthianum College of Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Oahu BISH 1916-01-01
5 Solanum seaforthianum Ewa Beach, between houses and sugar cane fields common growing on haole-koa trees Preserved_Specimen flower violet Davis, J. Oahu BISH 1979-02-23
6 Solanum seaforthianum Diamond Head cultivated Preserved_Specimen Bianchi, A. Oahu BISH 1976-02-26
7 Solanum seaforthianum Kuliouou house railing Preserved_Specimen Vine; fls pale-blue; berries red St.John, H. 24848 Oahu BISH 1952-11-11
8 Solanum seaforthianum Koloa, along Kapau Road scrub forest between house lots Preserved_Specimen vine; inflorescence with many flowers, calyx purple , yellow anthers Trauernicht, C. 191 Kauai BISH 2007-10-10
9 Solanum seaforthianum Honolulu: Manoa Valley; University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, Mauka Field Laboratory (Dept. Agronomy and Soils) climbing through the shrubbery at the edge of a field; in partial shade Preserved_Specimen vine several meters long. Petals lavendar to violet. Flowers odorless (noon) Lau, J. 1527 Oahu BISH 1985-10-16
10 Solanum seaforthianum Honolulu: Tantalus, G.C.Munro's house damp ground in woods Preserved_Specimen corolla violet, white at base; stamens orange Munro, G.C. Oahu BISH 1939-10-13
11 Solanum seaforthianum Koloa, Geoffrey Michels, Wailaau Rd garden, arbor vine over garage Preserved_Specimen Stems and leaves pale dull green, some violet wash where petiole attached, and especially on stem near tip. Leaf below paler than above, the veins conspicuously darker. Inflorescence: rachis pale greenish-purple, the color extending to pedicel; flower 2x1.5 cm; 5 petals of uneven size, pale violet with bases green, nearly white line in center of each, petals of crystalline appearance; stamens:filament 2 mm long, greenish white with tiny purple dots, anther 4mm, bright yellow; pistil 1 cm long, noticeably curled at apex, basally white becoming pale violet at apex; flowers with pleasant rose fragrance. Fruits round, to 1.2 cm wide, shiny pale green maturing shiny orange-red. Hume, L. 460 Kauai BISH 1990-02-07
12 Solanum seaforthianum Hamakua District, Kukuihaele quad, Waipio Valley Climbing shrub on weedy cliff face roadside, adjacent to small boat dock area near mouth of valley. Preserved_Specimen Imada, C. 200118 Hawaii BISH 2001-03-13
13 Solanum seaforthianum North Halawa below site 75, lower end sunny roadside; interwoven with passion fruit vine, Senna, guava, Mimosa and grasses. Preserved_Specimen Scraggy bush, 7' tall, branch diameter less than 1; tuft of leaves and flowers on the end of a bare stem. Flowers lavender, smell strong, not pleasant McConnell, K. Oahu BISH 1991-12-04
14 Solanum seaforthianum Kaupo Coast along highway about 1-1.5 mi E of Kaupo Village, E of Hualoba Church in thickets along road Preserved_Specimen slender herbaceous vine, inflorscences hanging on vertical stems, flowers blue-violet, ripe fruit fleshy, scarlet, glossy Fosberg, F.R. 55440 Maui BISH 1974-04-14
15 Solanum seaforthianum Lawai Valley; P.T.B.G.; upper palm area Preserved_Specimen Liana, uncommon in valley. Herbst, D.R. 2249 Kauai BISH 1971-12-21
16 Solanum seaforthianum Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range, Outplanting site Growing on dead Prosops pallida in a burned area Southwest of San Juacinto St and Lamalle. With Sicyos pachycarpus, Leucaena leucocephala, Asystasia gangetica, Cenchrus ciliaris. Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous to partly woody vine, growing 1 m above ground, stems green/purple maturing to brown. leaves divided and entire; flowers purple. BISH staff 11 Oahu BISH 2021-04-29
17 Solanum seaforthianum ~1/4 mi from Mokapu Blvd. on Quarry Rd wire fence Preserved_Specimen Smith, L.B. 79.3 Oahu BISH 1976-02-12
18 Solanum seaforthianum Waipio roadside in abandoned pineapple field Preserved_Specimen small herbacous vine with blue flowers Herbst, D.R. 700 Oahu BISH 1967-11-09
19 Solanum seaforthianum Oahu shade Preserved_Specimen vine ~ 8' high, masses of purple flowers and clusters of red berries, ~0.25 diam. Krauss, N.L.H. Oahu BISH 1944-06-27
20 Solanum seaforthianum Koloa, Geoffrey Michels, Wailaau Rd garden, arbor vine over garage Preserved_Specimen Stems and leaves pale dull green, some violet wash where petiole attached, and especially on stem near tip. Leaf below paler than above, the veins conspicuously darker. Inflorescence: rachis pale greenish-purple, the color extending to pedicel; flower 2x1.5 cm; 5 petals of uneven size, pale violet with bases green, nearly white line in center of each, petals of crystalline appearance; stamens:filament 2 mm long, greenish white with tiny purple dots, anther 4mm, bright yellow; pistil 1 cm long, noticeably curled at apex, basally white becoming pale violet at apex; flowers with pleasant rose fragrance. Fruits round, to 1.2 cm wide, shiny pale green maturing shiny orange-red. Hume, L. 460 Kauai BISH 1990-02-07
21 Solanum seaforthianum Waimea Park kaolite clay, tropical grassland, moist Preserved_Specimen tree or shrub Fafai, L. 5 Oahu BISH 1981-11-20
22 Solanum seaforthianum Poipu, Waiohai ~25 acre vacant lot Preserved_Specimen vine; climber; purple flowers in panicles; leaves pinnatifid, alternate Dunn, L. 305 Kauai BISH 2003-10-17
23 Solanum seaforthianum Kaupo Ranch Hanging from Schinus in dense Schinus-Psidium shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5681 Maui BISH 1986-07-14
24 Solanum seaforthianum Lawai Valley; P.T.B.G.; upper palm area Preserved_Specimen Liana, uncommon in valley. Herbst, D.R. 2249 Kauai BISH 1971-12-21
25 Solanum seaforthianum Kailua; Pali Hwy at Quarry Rd Preserved_Specimen Smith, L.B. 112 Oahu BISH 1976-06-22
26 Solanum seaforthianum Kalaupapa; airport, oceanview pavilion Preserved_Specimen climber Wysong, M.L. 436 Molokai BISH 2004-11-11
27 Solanum seaforthianum Lihe District, Haiku, where Aakukui Rd. crosses Puhi Stream Preserved_Specimen Liana with blue flowers, scarlet fruit Herbst, D.R. 5558 Kauai BISH 1975-11-17
28 Solanum seaforthianum Honolulu, in front of apartment bldg. at 2884 Date St., across from Ala Wai Golf Course Preserved_Specimen weakly climbing vine. Stems scrambling, cascading out of tree and pendant at tips; lvs pinnately lobed; flws blue-violet, ~1 in diam., stamens brigh yellow Staples, G.W. 544 Oahu BISH 1990-01-13
29 Solanum seaforthianum Lawai Valley, P.T.B.G Preserved_Specimen Corolla liliac; mature fruit red Flynn, T.W. 728 Kauai BISH 1984-01-05
30 Solanum seaforthianum Lawai Valley; P.T.B.G.; upper palm area Preserved_Specimen Liana, uncommon in valley. Herbst, D.R. 2249 Kauai BISH 1971-12-21
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