FoI
Indian Nightshade
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Indian Nightshade
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Indian Nightshade, Asian nightshade, Poison berry • Malayalam: Pscheru-schunda, valutina • Manipuri: ꯂꯩꯄꯨꯡꯈꯥꯡ Leipung khang • Mizo: Tawkte, Samtawktê • Sanskrit: बर्हट्टी Barhatti • Nepali: ठुलो विहीं Thulo Bihin, बिहि Bihi, निलो बिहि Nilo Bihi, कल्चौडा काँडा Kalchauda Kaadaa
Botanical name: Solanum violaceum    Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)
Synonyms: Solanum chinense, Solanum indicum L.

Indian Nightshade is a much branched shrub 0.3-1.5 m high, with large prickles. Stem is stout, often purple. Branches are covered with minute stellate hairs. Leaves are 5-15 by 2.5-7.5 cm ovate in outline, acute, clothed with simple hairs. Flowers are borne in racemose extra axillary cymes, purple colored, clothed with darker purple colored hairs. Fruit is a berry 8 mm diameter, spherical, green to yellow, and orange when ripe. Indian Nightshade is found in China, East Himalaya, Bangladesh to SE Asia, and Eastern and Western Ghats. It is found in Eastern Himalaya at altitudes of 100-2700 m.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Imphal, Manipur & Bangalore.

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