Solanum nigrum
| Solanum nigrum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Solanum nigrum (common name: black nightshade)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
The seed can also be sown in a greenhouse during the spring if required. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out in late spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[1]. Dislikes shade[1]. Flowers are formed on the old wood[2]. Very tolerant of dry conditions[2].
Caterpillars and slugs are particularly fond of this plant and can totally destroy it[K].
Grows well with clover[3]. Does not grow well with wormwood or white mustard and, when these plants are growing close to S. nigra, they increase its content of toxic alkaloids[3].
Some forms of this plant are cultivated for their edible fruits or leaves[4], see notes about possible toxicity at the top of this page. The leaves of one form are sold in local markets in Greece[5].
Range: Found throughout most of the world, including Britain.
Habitat: Uncultivated and waste land[6]. It is a common garden weed.
Edibility: Fruit - cooked[7][8][9][10]. Used in preserves, jams and pies[11]. A pleasant musky taste[12]. Somewhat like a tomato, but much less pleasant, it improves slightly after a frost[K]. Only the fully ripe fruits should be used, the unripe fruits contain the toxin solanine[13][14][11]. The fruit contains about 2.5% protein, 0.6% fat, 5.6% carbohydrate, 1.2% ash[10]. The fruit is about 9mm in diameter[4].
Young leaves and new shoots - raw or cooked as a potherb or added to soups[7][8][12][9][14][10][11]. This plant is cultivated as a leaf crop in some areas, but see the notes at the top of the page regarding possible toxicity.
Medicinal: The whole plant is antiperiodic, antiphlogistic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge, narcotic, purgative and sedative[15][16][17][18][19][20]. It is harvested in the autumn when both flowers and fruit are upon the plant, and is dried for later use[15]. Use with caution[16], see notes above on toxicity.
The leaves, stems and roots are used externally as a poultice, wash etc in the treatment of cancerous sores, boils, leucoderma and wounds[20][21].
Extracts of the plant are analgesic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator[20]. The plant has been used in the manufacture of locally analgesic ointments and the juice of the fruit has been used as an analgesic for toothaches[6].
Usage: This species has been found to be effective in removing PCB's from the soil and detoxifying them[22]. The plant is more effective in doing this if it is infected with the bacterial parasite Agrobacterium tumefaciens[22].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There is a lot of disagreement over whether or not the leaves or fruit of this plant are poisonous. Views vary from relatively poisonous to perfectly safe to eat. The plant is cultivated as a food crop, both for its fruit and its leaves, in some parts of
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Larkcom, Joy. Oriental Vegetables. John Murray, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Alta. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America, 1970.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Emboden, William. Narcotic Plants. Studio Vista, 1979.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Anderson, Alu. New Scientist. IPC Magazines Ltd, 1997.