Download Horse netttle Solanum carolinense

HORSE NETTLE
Most of our noxious weed species are non-native. However, there are a few weed species that
are native. One of them is the Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.).
The Horse Nettle is a member of the Order Solanales, the Family Solanaceae, the Subfamily
Solanoideae, and the Tribe Solaneae. This genus is one of the largest genera in the world. This
plant is also not a true Nettle.
The generic name, Solanum, is from the Latin word, solanem, which is “quiet down” and
which refers to its sedative properties upon the nervous system. The specific epithet, carolinense,
is Latin for “of Carolina”, where it was identified.
Other scientific synonyms for this species were Solanum floridanum Rafinesque (or
Shuttleworth ex Dunal), S. godfreyi Shinners, and S. pleei Dunal.
Other common names for this species are Apple of Sodom, Ball Nettle, Bull Nettle, Carolina
Horsenettle, Devil’s Potato, Devil’s Tomato, Irish Plum, Irish Plumb, Nightshade, Poisonous
Potato, Radical, Radical Weed, Sand Briar, Sand Brier, Thistle, Thornapple, Tread-Saft, TreadSoftly, and Wild Tomato.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HORSE NETTLE
Perennial
Height: Its height is 1-4 feet.
Stem: Its stem is erect; sometimes branched; and has scattered white or yellow, ½ inch long
spines or prickles. The older stems are woody and their spines fall off during the winter.
Leaves: Its leaves are simple, alternate, and rough. Each leaf is ovate, oblong, or elliptical; about
2-6 inches long; and about ½-2½ inches wide. Its tips are pointed and its bases are tapered. Its
margins are 2-10 lobed, coarsely toothed, or wavy. Both its underside midrib and its petioles are
also prickled.
Flowers: Its flowers are arranged in long, loose, lateral, racemous, terminal clusters. Each flower
is about ¾-1¼ inch wide, white to violet, and is radially symmetrical and star-shaped. Its corolla
has 5 triangular petals, its calyx has 5 united hairy and papery sepals that wrap around the fruit,
its 5 stamens have bright yellow elongated anthers that unite at the tip to form a central cone, and
it has 1 pistil. All parts are attached to the base of the ovary. These flowers are unscented and are
pollinated by Bumblebees (Genus Bombus). Flowering season is April to October.
Fruit: Its fruit is a small, rounded, smooth, yellow-orange berry. The immature berry is dark
green with light green stripes. The older berry is wrinkled. Each berry is about ½-¾ inch in
diameter. The berry is 2-chambered and may contain about 40-170 seeds. Northern Bobwhite
Quails (Colinus virginianus L.), Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo L.), Rodents (Order
Rodentia), and Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis Schreber) eat these fruits and scatter the seeds.
These berries persist upon the plant throughout the winter. Fruiting season is August to
September.
Seeds: Its seeds are oval, flattened, smooth, and glossy orange to yellow. These seeds can remain
viable through an animal’s digestive system. One plant can produce up to 5000 seeds.
Roots: Its roots have deep taproots that go as deep as 10 feet and spreading fleshy rhizomes that
extend up to 3 feet. This plant spreads by rhizomes.
Habitat: Its habitats consist of old fields, grasslands, farmlands, cultivated areas, roadsides,
waste areas, and degraded prairies. Its soil is sandy or gravelly.
Range: Its range is primarily the southeastern U.S. It does extend up to southern New England,
the lower Great Lakes, lower Canada, and as far west as Texas and the Great Plains.
Uses of the Horse Nettle:
The Horse Nettle had some medicinal uses. Both the Native Americans and the early
European settlers used this plant. A leaf tea was used as a gargle for sore throats. A wilted leaf
poultice was used for Poison Ivy rashes. A leaf infusion was used to expel worms. The berries
were used for treating epilepsy. They were also used as a diuretic, a painkiller, an antispasmodic,
and an aphrodisiac. The berry juice was used for treating tetanus. The roots were used as a
sedative. This plant also treated asthma and bronchitis. The plant was listed in the National
Formulary (1916-1936).
Toxicity:
Horse Nettles are toxic plants, even when they are dead. They contain the glycoalkaloids
solamine, solanidone, and solanine. Consuming this toxin can cause severe gastrointestinal
troubles and even death. The toxic berries have been fatal to children. This plant is also avoided
by livestock.
Nuisance:
Horse nettles are considered a nuisance weed in both gardens and croplands. They can be
resistant to some herbicides, such as 2,4-D and Glypohosate.
Because of its deep root system, this plant is difficult to eradicate. Because of their spines,
gloves should be worn when pulling them.
REFERENCES
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION FIELD GUIDE TO WILDFLOWERS OF NORTH AMERICA
By David M. Brandenburg
WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS IN WINTER
By Lauren Brown
WILDFLOWERS IN THE FIELD AND FOREST
By Steven Clements and Carol Gracie
THE HISTORY AND FOLKLORE OF NORTH AMERICAN WILDFLOWERS
By Timothy Coffey
COMMON FLOWERING PLANTS OF THE NORTHEAST
By Donald D. Cox
MISSOURI WILDFLOWERS
By Edgar Denison
EDIBLE WILD PLANTS
By Thomas S. Elias and Peter A. Dykeman
PETERSON FIELD GUIDE TO MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBS
By Steven Foster and James A. Duke
WILDFLOWERS OF OHIO
By Robert L. Henn
MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE HEARTLAND
By Connie Kaye and Neil Billington
A FIELD GUIDE TO MEDICINAL PLANTS
By Arnold and Connie Krochmal
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
By Don Kurz
A GUIDE TO WILDFLOWERS IN WINTER
By Carol Levine and Dick Rauh
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA’S WILDFLOWERS
By Louis C. Linn
NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS
By Daniel E. Moerman
POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES
By Walter Conrad Muenscher
NEWCOMB’S WILDFLOWER GUIDE
By Lawrence Newcomb and Gordon Morrison
WILDFLOWERS
By Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny
DANGEROUS PLANTS
By John Tampion
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN WILDFLOWERS (EASTERN
REGION)
By John W. Thieret, William A. Niering, and Nancy C. Olmstead
WEEDS OF THE NORTHEAST
By Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal, and Richard M. DiTomaso
LIFE AND LORE OF ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
By William E. Werner, Jr.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_carolinense
www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/hrs_nettlex.htm