Biological Sciences Department
Index Herbariourm
Key to Kentucky Solanum Species

For larger images, return to the main Solanum page.
Click the [.I.] (for "Image") to see examples of traits.

1a)   Plants with prickles ..................................................................................................................................... 2

......2a)   Plants annual (with taproot); flowers yellow; ripe berries hidden by prickly calyx .. S. rostratum

......2b)   Plants perennial (with rhizomes); flowers purple or white; ripe berries yellowish-orange and not .... ......... hidden by calyx ...................................................................................................................................... 3

..........3a)   Plant densely hairy, with a silvery appearance; leaf margins entire (without teeth) .................................................................................................................................................... S. elaeagnifolium

.. .......3b)   Plant sparsely hairy, lacking a silvery appearance; leaf margins toothed or lobed ......................................................................................................................................................... S. carolinense

1b)     Plants without prickles .............................................................................................................................. 7

.....4a)   Plant a vine, becoming woody; flowers purple; berries shining red-orange ........... S. dulcamara

.....4b)   Plant erect or sprawling, not becoming woody; flowers white or yellow; berries black, red, or ............. yellow ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

.. .......5a) Leaves pinnately lobed to compound; flowers yellow; calyx lobes (fruiting or flowering) longer .. ........ .... than 5 mm .................................................................................................................. S. lycopersicon

.. .......5b) Leaves simple and entire to slightly lobed; flowers white; calyx lobes (fruiting or flowering) .. ........... .... shorter than 5 mm ................................................................................................................................ 6

............... 6a) Plant with with divergent hairs (sticking straight out); calyx covers half the berry [.I.]; mature .......................fruit yellowish...................................................................................................... S. physalifolium

............... 6b) Plant with with appressed hairs [.I.] (pressed flat against stem) or not hairy; calyx not .......................covering berry [.I.]; mature fruit black ................................................................ S. ptycanthum

This page has had [ [TextCounter Fatal Error: Could Not Write to File __herbarium_Taxonomy_Solanaceae_Solanum_SolanumKey_shtml] ] hits since July 19, 2007.
Return to top.