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Brazilian Nightshade

Solanum seaforthianum

Description:

Brazilian nightshade (Solanum seaforthianum) is a slender climber, twining up trees to a height of several metres. It flowers from spring to autumn and has open clusters of mauve flowers about 2 cm across. These are followed by round and shiny red fruit about 1 cm in diameter. The fruit are attractive to birds, which distribute the seeds, although both fruit and leaves are toxic to humans. It is related to such plants as the tomato and potato. Probably introduced to Australia as an ornamental, it is an invasive species and quite common in many catchment areas around the country, particularly in the warmer, temperate areas. It is most readily controlled by being pulled out by hand, or cut at the stump then sprayed. Solanum is a very large genus, with about 1,700 species, occurring throughout the tropics and extending into temperate regions. The Flora lists 45 Solanum species for South-east Queensland, 26 of which are native.

Habitat:

Spotted on the bank of the freshwater creek that flows into Gold Creek Reservoir, which lies just to the west of Brisbane. Freshwater lake, and dense native bushland vegetation of dry eucalypt forests and subtropical rainforests. Massive lantana growth along this watercourse. Brazilian Nightshade is a common weed of untended areas with fertile soils. It is a weed of closed forests, forest margins, urban bushland, waterways (i.e. riparian areas), crops, roadsides, disturbed sites and waste areas.

Notes:

I made this spotting a few years ago, and it shows the fruit of this species. No wonder it's called a nightshade, because they do look like little tomatoes - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/14...

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Neil Ross
Spotted by
Neil Ross

Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Spotted on May 6, 2018
Submitted on May 6, 2019

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