Solanum dulcamara

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Bittersweet Nightshade
File:Illustration Solanum dulcamara0.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. dulcamara
Binomial name
Solanum dulcamara
L.[1]
File:Bitterweet Nightshade 2.jpg
Flowers, Ottawa, Ontario

Solanum dulcamara, also known as bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, bitter nightshade, blue bindweed, Amara Dulcis,[2] climbing nightshade, fellenwort, felonwood, poisonberry, poisonflower, scarlet berry, snakeberry[3][4][5], trailing bittersweet, trailing nightshade, violet bloom, or woody nightshade, is a species of vine in the potato genus Solanum, family Solanaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere, including North America, where it is an invasive problem weed. It occurs in a very wide range of habitats, from woodlands to scrubland, hedges and marshes. It is an invasive species in the Great Lakes region and was first spotted in 1843[6].

Bittersweet is a semi-woody herbaceous perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, capable of reaching a height of 4 m where suitable support is available, but more often 1–2 meters high. The leaves are 4–12 cm long, roughly arrowhead-shaped, and often lobed at the base. The flowers are in loose clusters of 3–20, (1–1.5 cm) across, star-shaped, with five purple petals and yellow stamens and style pointing forward. The fruit is an ovoid red berry about 1 cm long, soft and juicy, but edible for birds, which disperse the seeds widely.

Bittersweet is used in naturopathy and herbalism. Its main usage is for conditions that have an impact on the skin, mucous membrane and the membrane (synovial membrane) around the joints. Bittersweet is considered by some to be a herbal remedy for treating herpes and allergies.

Although fatal human poisonings are rare, several cases have been documented. The poison is believed to be solanine.[7]

The name bittersweet is also used in some areas for some species in the genus Celastrus (elsewhere referred to as the staff vines, family Celastraceae), e.g. american bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) and oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus).

References

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  • SolanumDulcamara-plant-sm.jpg

    Plant

  • SolanumDulcamara-blad-sm.jpg

    Leaves

  • SolanumDulcamara-bloem-sm.jpg

    Flowers

  • Bittersweet3900.JPG

    Flowers and unripe fruits

  • XN Solanum dulcamara 01.jpg

    Fruits

  • XN Solanum dulcamara 00.jpg

    Flowers and fruits

  • Solanum d. young.JPG

    A young Solanum dulcamara

ca:Dolçamara

cs:Lilek potměchuť da:Bittersød Natskygge de:Bittersüßer Nachtschatten et:Harilik maavits es:Solanum dulcamara fr:Douce-amère gl:Dulcamara hsb:Hórkosłódke wrónidło it:Solanum dulcamara csb:Słodkògòrzczi lilek lv:Bebrukārkliņš lt:Karklavijas nl:Bitterzoet no:Slyngsøtvier nrm:Solanum dulcamara pl:Psianka słodkogórz ru:Паслён сладко-горький sk:Ľuľok sladkohorký fi:Punakoiso sv:Besksöta

uk:Паслін солодко-гіркий
  1. ↑ Sp. Pl. 1: 185. 1753 [1 May 1753] "Plant Name Details for Solanum dulcamura". IPNI. Retrieved December 1, 2009. 
  2. ↑ Culpeper Plant Names Database, discussing various editions of Culpeper, for example Culpeper, Nicholas, The English physitian: or an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation, London, Peter Cole, 1652.
  3. ↑ Blanchan, Neltje (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. 
  4. ↑ "Almost any unfamiliar berry is or may be snake-berry, and all snake-berries are poisonous; so a boy dares not eat a berry till some one . . . ". Needs verification but may come from Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Suggestions' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Suggestions' not found.
  6. ↑ "List of invasive species in the Great Lakes Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs". Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  7. ↑ R. F. Alexander, G. B. Forbes, and E. S. Hawkins (1948-09-11). "A Fatal Case of Solanine Poisoning". Br Med J. 2 (4575): 518. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.4575.518. PMC 2091497 Freely accessible. 
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