Red nightshade (Solanum villosum, Gard. Dict. ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768))

Family: Solanaceae

Author: Mill.

Bibliography: Gard. Dict. ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768)

Year: 1768

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Solanum

Vegetable: Unknown

Observations: Macaronesia, N. Africa to Eritrea and Mozambique, Europe to China and Arabian Pen., Indian Subcontinent

Description

Red nightshade, scientifically named Solanum villosum, is an intriguing plant holding a position within the Solanaceae family. Encompassing a wealth of ecological and geographical diversity, Solanum villosum can be found thriving across a wide range, from Macaronesia and the northern stretches of Africa spanning down to Eritrea and Mozambique, to regions encompassing Europe all the way to China and the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, it marks its presence in the Indian Subcontinent, making it a plant of considerable distribution and adaptability.

This species bears the hallmark characteristics of the Solanaceae family, which is known for its economic and ecological importance. Historically, Solanum villosum was documented in the Gardener’s Dictionary, 8th edition, in 1768 by the botanist Mill., reflecting its longstanding recognition and the studious attention it has garnered over centuries.

In its natural habitat, Red nightshade tends to grow in varied environments, showcasing its adaptive capabilities. Despite its modest appearance, the plant plays a role in the intricate web of ecosystems, supporting a variety of insects and animals. Notably, this species can thrive in different climatic conditions, thus contributing to its widespread distribution.

Overall, Solanum villosum, or Red nightshade, with its extensive geographical reach and historical significance, exemplifies the resilience and ecological diversity of the Solanaceae family. Its presence across continents underscores not only its botanical importance but also its relevance to the natural systems where it flourishes.

Common Names

Ara: ‘inab al-deeb
Deu: gelbbeeriger nachtschatten, gelbbeeriger nachtschatten (i. w. s.), gelbbeeriger nachtschatten, zottiger n., gelbfrüchtiger nachtschatten, zottiger nachtschatten, gelber nachtschatten, rotfrüchtiger nachtschatten
Eng: hairy nightshade, red nightshade, red-fruit nightshade, woolly nightshade
Dan: håret natskygge
Spa: yerbamora amarilla
Lav: dzelten
Swe: gul nattskatta, gul/röd nattskatta
Nob: kantsøtvier
Nno: kantsøtvier
Ces: lilek žlutý
Fin: myskikoiso
Nld: donsnachtschade
Cym: codwarth coch
En: Red nightshade, Woolly nightshade, Red-fruit nightshade, Hairy nightshade, Yellow Nightshade
Ar: ‘inab al-deeb
Cs: Lilek žlutý
Da: Håret natskygge
Nl: Donsnachtschade
Fi: Myskikoiso
Fr: Morelle poilue, Morelle velue, Morelle ailée, Morelle noire
De: Gelber Nachtschatten, Rotfrüchtiger Nachtschatten, Gelbbeeriger Nachtschatten, Gelbbeeriger Nachtschatten (i. w. S.), Gelbbeeriger Nachtschatten, Zottiger N., Gelbfrüchtiger Nachtschatten, Zottiger Nachtschatten, Behaarter Nachtschatten
It: Morella gialla
Lv: Dzelten
Nb: Kantsøtvier
Nn: Kantsøtvier
Es: Yerbamora amarilla, Solanum villoso
Sv: Gul nattskatta, Gul/röd nattskatta
Cy: Codwarth Coch

Synonyms

• Solanum luteovirescens (C.C.Gmel.)
• Solanum olivaceum (Kit. ex Kanitz)
• Solanum incanum (Kit. ex Schult.)
• Solanum rubrum (L.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. luteovirescens ((C.C.Gmel.) Kirschl.)
• Solanum olgae (Pojark.)
• Solanum ochroleucum var. flavum ((Kit. ex Schult.) Dunal)
• Solanum luteum var. miniatibaccatum ((Blom) Hyl.)
• Solanum miniatum var. villosissimum (Dunal)
• Solanum luteum var. procerum (Wessely)
• Solanum nigrum var. croceum (Neilr.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. villosum (Hartm.)
• Solanum nigrum var. suffruticosum ((Schousb. ex Willd.) Moris)
• Solanum cerinum (Otto)
• Solanum nilagiricum (Schltdl.)
• Solanum nigrum var. aurantium (Maire)
• Solanum pseudovillosum (Schur)
• Witheringia rubra ((L.) Remy)
• Solanum zelenetzkii (Pojark.)
• Solanum nigrum var. ochroleucum ((Bastard) P.Fourn.)
• Solanum nigrum f. villosum (Döll)
• Solanum plebeium (A.Rich.)
• Solanum ochroleucum (Bastard)
• Solanum villosum subsp. ochroleucum ((Bastard) Nyman)
• Solanum minutiflorum (Dunal)
• Solanum villosum var. laevigatum (Lowe)
• Solanum arenarium (Schur)
• Solanum villosum var. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) Kostel.)
• Solanum miniatum (Bernh. ex Willd.)
• Solanum nigrum f. glabrum (Chiov.)
• Solanum nigrum subvar. ochroleucum ((Bastard) Coss. & Germ.)
• Solanum plebeium var. brachysepalum (Bitter)
• Solanum flavum (Kit. ex Schult.)
• Solanum villosum f. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) Döll)
• Solanum nigrum var. sancti-marini (Pamp.)
• Solanum carmanicum (Schönb.-Tem.)
• Solanum puniceum (C.C.Gmel.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. luteum ((Mill.) Kirschl.)
• Solanum incertum (Dunal)
• Solanum miniatum var. stenopetalum (Dunal)
• Solanum luteum f. miniatibaccatum ((Blom) Wessely)
• Solanum miniatum var. subserratum (Dunal)
• Solanum luteum var. calvum (Wessely)
• Solanum aegyptiacum (Forssk.)
• Solanum nigrum var. luteum (Döll)
• Solanum nigrum var. rubrum ((L.) Aiton)
• Solanum nigrum aegyptiacum (Lam. ex C.C.Gmel.)
• Solanum transcaucasicum (Pojark.)
• Solanum villosum var. miniatibaccatum (Blom)
• Solanum nigrum var. villosum (L.)
• Solanum viridescens (Rchb.)
• Solanum luteum (Mill.)
• Solanum flavum humile (Bernh.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. puniceum (Kirschl.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. ochroleucum ((Bastard) Corb.)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. humile ((Fr.) Hartm.)
• Solanum nigrum f. angulosum (Döll)
• Solanum morella subsp. luteum ((Mill.) Rouy)
• Solanum hildebrandtii (A.Braun & C.D.Bouché)
• Solanum canescens (Kit. ex Kanitz)
• Solanum nigrum var. induratum (Boiss.)
• Solanum vulgatum var. luteum (Spenn.)
• Solanum villosum subvar. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) Germ. & Wedd.)
• Solanum plebeium var. subtile (Bitter)
• Solanum nigrum subsp. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) Hartm.)
• Solanum nigrum f. humile ((Fr.) Döll)
• Solanum kitaibelii (Schult.)
• Solanum morella var. flavum ((Kit. ex Schult.) Rouy & Foucaud)
• Solanum woronowii (Pojark.)
• Solanum villosum var. velutinum (Lowe)
• Solanum villosum subsp. puniceum (Edmonds)
• Solanum patens (Lowe.)
• Solanum erythraeum (Dunal)
• Solanum suffruticosum (Schousb. ex Willd.)
• Solanum villosum subsp. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) J.M.Edmonds)
• Solanum purpureilineatum (Sabnis & Bhatt)
• Solanum luteum subsp. villosum ((Mill.) Dostál)
• Solanum sinaicum (Boiss.)
• Solanum nigrum var. miniatum ((Bernh. ex Willd.) Hartm.)

Distribution

• Afghanistan (native)
• Albania (native)
• Algeria (native)
• Austria (native)
• Azores (native)
• Baleares (native)
• Belarus (native)
• Bulgaria (native)
• Burundi (native)
• Canary Is. (native)
• Cape Verde (native)
• Central European Rus (native)
• Chad (native)
• China North-Central (native)
• Corse (native)
• Cyprus (native)
• Czechoslovakia (native)
• Djibouti (native)
• East Aegean Is. (native)
• East Himalaya (native)
• Egypt (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Ethiopia (native)
• France (native)
• Germany (native)
• Great Britain (native)
• Greece (native)
• Gulf States (native)
• Hungary (native)
• India (native)
• Iran (native)
• Iraq (native)
• Italy (native)
• Kazakhstan (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Kirgizstan (native)
• Kriti (native)
• Krym (native)
• Lebanon-Syria (native)
• Libya (native)
• Madeira (native)
• Malawi (native)
• Morocco (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Myanmar (native)
• Nepal (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• North Caucasus (native)
• Oman (native)
• Pakistan (native)
• Palestine (native)
• Portugal (native)
• Qinghai (native)
• Romania (native)
• Sardegna (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Sicilia (native)
• Sinai (native)
• Somalia (native)
• South European Russi (native)
• Spain (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Sweden (native)
• Switzerland (native)
• Tadzhikistan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Tibet (native)
• Transcaucasus (native)
• Tunisia (native)
• Turkey (native)
• Turkey-in-Europe (native)
• Turkmenistan (native)
• Uganda (native)
• Ukraine (native)
• Uzbekistan (native)
• Vietnam (native)
• West Himalaya (native)
• Western Sahara (native)
• Xinjiang (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Yugoslavia (native)
• Zambia (native)
• Zimbabwe (native)
• Angola (introduced)
• Baltic States (introduced)
• Belgium (introduced)
• California (introduced)
• Cape Provinces (introduced)
• Denmark (introduced)
• Florida (introduced)
• Idaho (introduced)
• Illinois (introduced)
• Ireland (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• Maine (introduced)
• Maryland (introduced)
• Masachusettes (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• New Hampshire (introduced)
• New Jersey (introduced)
• Northern Provinces (introduced)
• Pennsylvania (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Socotra (introduced)
• South Australia (introduced)
• St.Helena (introduced)
• Taiwan (introduced)
• Washington (introduced)
• Western Australia (introduced)

Additional Images

Habit

Taken Aug 19, 2019 by Didier Bcn (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 18, 2020 by Adele van Staden (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 18, 2020 by Adele van Staden (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Collados Ana (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Collados Ana (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Aug 7, 2020 by Jean-François Baudin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Collados Ana (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 3, 2021 by Desiré Planet (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 19, 2022 by Ricardo Lemaur (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 16, 2021 by Radbout Timmer (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Aug 28, 2022 by Murciélago🦇 Alba (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 18, 2020 by Adele van Staden (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 2, 2021 by Asd Syr (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 7, 2020 by Jean-François Baudin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 16, 2021 by Radbout Timmer (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Oct 4, 2022 by POCH COMAS ANTONI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 25, 2022 by Gwennina Le Houedec (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 19, 2020 by Tom Fisher (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 7, 2020 by Jean-François Baudin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 12, 2021 by Zwitscher (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bark

Taken Sep 25, 2022 by Perrine M (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 21, 2022 by Avi (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 27, 2022 by Gianni Del Bufalo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 29, 2021 by Gianni Del Bufalo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 12, 2022 by Antoine LEPAGE (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Photoflora – L’Abbé COSTE (©)

Taken Aug 30, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 7, 2013 by Tela Botanica − Bertrand BUI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Photoflora – L’Abbé COSTE (©)

Taken Mar 29, 2021 by Gianni Del Bufalo (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:285344-2)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2929505)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Solanum villosum Mill.)

Specifications

Growth