Solanum robustum Wendl., Solanaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: shrubby nightshade, silverleaf nightshade

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrubs up to 2 m tall, armed with strong, straight or slightly recurved, flattened prickles up to 12 mm long, base up to 6 mm wide, densely pubescent with stellate hairs on stems and upper and lower leaf surface along veins, ferruginous on younger shoots; stems strongly winged from the decurrent bases of the leaves, wings leafy, 2-15 mm wide.  Leaves with lower surface paler than upper surface, simple, alternate, ovate in outline but with 2-4 triangular lobes on each margin, sinuses cut 1/3 to midvein, juvenile leaves up to 30 cm long and 28 cm wide, later leaves ovate in outline, ca. 15 cm long and 10 cm wide, lobes 2-4 cm long, sinuses rounded, apex acute, base truncate to subcordate, oblique and continued down the petiole as a leafy wing, petioles 2-8 cm long.  Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, in unarmed, racemose cymes up to 10 cm long, extra-axillary, peduncle to first flower 1.5-2.5 cm long, pedicels ca. 1 cm long; calyx tube 2-3 mm long, the lobes ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 mm long; corolla stellate, deeply divided, the lobes lanceolate, 10-15 mm long, 5-8 mm wide, densely pubescent externally; stamens equal, inserted near base of corolla tube; filaments 1-3 mm long; anthers lanceolate, 5-7 mm long, opening by apical pores; ovary globose, densely pubescent; style 1, erect, 9-11 mm long, exceeding anthers, pubescent in lower part; stigma terminal.  Berries yellowish, globose, 1.2-2 cm in diameter, persistently pubescent, pedicels 1-2 cm long, calyx not much enlarged, reflexed.  Seeds numerous, brown, compressed, subreniform, ca. 1.4 mm long, foveolate"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1274-1275).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in guava-infested cattle pastures, ca. 230 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1274-1275).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  South America (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1274-1275).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1274-1275) Voucher cited: Hobdy 288 (BISH)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Naturalisé"

Additional information:
Additional online information about Solanum robustum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Solanum robustum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Solanum robustum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).