Solanum americanum - Black nightshade

❏ Binomial Name : Solanum americanum Mill.

❏ Synonym : Solanum nigrum,Solanum calvum,Solanum tenellum

❏ Family : Solanaceae

❏ Common Name : Black nightshade

❏ Tamil Name : Manatakkali

❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated

Solanum americanum Botanical Description

Erect annual herbs; stem glabrous or sparsely hispid. Leaves 2-5 x 1-3 cm, ovate or elliptic, base rounded, shortly decurrent on the petiole, subentire, acute to acuminate at apex, membraneous; petiole to 5 cm long. Inflorescence axillary to extra-axillary umbellate cymes; peduncle 1-2 cm long; pedicels 4-6 mm long. Calyx cupular, 5-lobed, minute. Corolla white, 3-4 mm across, subentire. Berry, 4-5 mm across, globose, purplish-black. Seeds c. 1 mm long, discoid, minutely pitted. Fl. &Fr.: March-November.

Solanum americanum Medicinal uses

❀ The young leaves, flowers and fruits are eaten after cooking.

❀ A decoction of the whole plant is used as a blood purifier, for treating inflammation, dissipating blood stasis, and to expel worms

❀ The cooked leaves are said to have a heart-clearing effect

❀ The pounded leaves are used to treat sores and other skin problems

❀ An infusion of the leaves and stems is used to improve kidney function

You can also add your pictures in this website. What you can do is send your pictures along with the information contain where and when you took to this given mail id flowersoftamilnadu@gmail.com Thank You

If you have any comments about the site or the pictures, good or bad, we'd like to hear from you. Please do comments!