FoI
Sticky Nightshade
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Sticky Nightshade
aturalized Photo: Shaista Ahmad
Common name: Sticky Nightshade, Bitter apple, Dense thorned bitter apple, Wild tomato • Bengali: শ্ৱেতৰংগনী Swetrangani, Sada kantikari
Botanical name: Solanum sisymbriifolium    Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)

Sticky Nightshade is a densely prickly perennial herb, native to South America. It has naturalized in parts of India. Leaves are pinnately cut into lobes. Leaves are up to 30 cm long, segments up to 10 cm long, on 10 cm long stalks. Leaves have thorns on the ris. Even the sepals are armed with yellow prickles. The sepals grow to 1.5 cm long during fruiting period. Star-like flowers are purplish or white, 1.6-3.5 cm across, with ovate petals, 1 cm long, 4-8 mm wide. Filaments are about 1 mm, with prominent yellow lance-shaped anthers, about 9 mm long. Fruit is a berry, looking like a small tomato, red in color, and finally turning yellow, 1.2 cm in diameter.

Identification credit: Sankara Rao Photographed in Guwahati, Assam & Jharkhand.

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