Citation: Nutt., Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1:128 (1818).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Three-flowered nightshade, cut-leaf nightshade.

Description:
A sprawling annual herb, stems 15-100 cm long, sometimes rooting at the nodes, unarmed, sparingly pubescent, with coarse simple hairs of 4-6 cells; leaves 2-3 x 1-2 cm, ovate or elliptic, shallowly or deeply lobed or toothed, 7-9 main lobes when deeply cut, themselves lobed; leaf margins somewhat recurved, thickened.

Inflorescence a 3-flowered subumbellate cyme in an extra-axillary position, bearing a small terminal leaflet; peduncle 1-2 cm long, firm, straight; pedicel c. 3-4 mm long; calyx tube 1-1.5 mm long; lobes c. 2 mm long, lanceolate to long-triangular; corolla stellate, 5-6 mm diam., white; tube c. 1.5 mm long; lobes c. 2.5 mm long; apices pubescent; filaments c. 0.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent; anthers c. 2.5 mm long, oblong; ovary c. 1.5 mm diam., glabrous; style c. 3 mm long, sigmoid, minutely pubescent in the lower half; stigma capitate, at the level of the anther pores.

Fruiting pedicels c. 8 mm long, recurved, slightly thickened below the fruit; calyx well developed but not enclosing the fruit, reflexed at maturity, lobes acuminate; fruit c. 1 cm diam., globular; seed 1.5-2 mm long, a light brownish-yellow, under some conditions appearing pubescent; stone cells abundant 22-35, visible in ripe fruit, spherical, c. 1 mm diam.

	Flowering and fruiting branch and a fruit.
Image source: fig. 579D in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 587.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NL, MU, SL, SE.   W.Aust.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.   Native to North America: naturalised in north-western Europe. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: March — May.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available