Solanum carolinense (Horsenettle) on 7-24-19, #605-21.

Bull Nettle, Devil’s Tomato, Carolina Horsenettle,  Horsenettle, Horse Nettle, Sand Briar, Etc. 

Solanum carolinense

so-LAN (LAY)-num   kair-oh-lin-EN-see 

Synonyms of Solanum carolinense (9) (Updated on 12-30-23 from Plants of the World Online): Solanum carolinense f. albiflorum (Kuntze) Benke, Solanum carolinense var. albiflorum Kuntze, Solanum carolinense var. floridanum Chapm., Solanum carolinense var. pohlianum Dunal, Solanum floridanum Raf., Solanum floridanum Shuttlew. ex Dunal, Solanum godfreyi Shinners, Solanum obliquatum Raf., Solanum pleei Dunal

Solanum carolinense L. is the accepted name for this species of Solanum. The genus and species were named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-30-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 1,234 species in the Solanum genus. It is a member of the plant family Solanaceae with 102 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Solanum carolinense is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database is similar for the U.S. and Canada.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my wildflower observations on iNaturalist. It is addictive!

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A BETTER POSITIVE ID.

Solanum carolinense is a very common species here on the farm from one end to the other. In fact, they are a common pasture weed/wildflower throughout the state of Missouri. The species range is most of the United States, parts of Canada, and even into Mexico. They can be found in many different habitats and soil types, so they aren’t picky at all.

They don’t especially like areas where they get crowded out by taller plants. They like to dominate disturbed areas where other vegetation is short and undemanding. In 2021 after the hay was cut, there was an infestation of armyworms and the grass died in several spots in the hayfield. The Horsenettle thought it was GREAT!

A few even try to grow in the garden every summer but that is not allowed.

I remember the Horsenettle from back when I was a kid walking in grandpa’s pasture. One thing about it, no one will want to run through your pasture in the dark. 

Horsenettle grows to around 12” tall on ascending to erect stems with multiple branches. The stems have small glandular, star-shaped (stellate) hairs along with scattered spines. They are a pain to pull up in the garden. I have learned they are less spiny toward the base.

The leaves grow in an alternate pattern along the stems, are around 6” long x 3” across, and have short petioles (leaf stems). The petioles are often winged toward the tip.

They are ovate, ovate-elliptic, to broadly lanceolate in outline, tapered, angled, or rounded at the base, and taper to a bluntly or sharply pointed tip. The margins can have 2-5 coarse teeth or shallow lobes and are fairly wavy. Sometimes the leaves may be wavy without lobes. The leaves are usually densely pubescent with stellate hairs.

Of course, there are the spines along the central veins, mainly on the underside, with a few on the upper surface as well. 

Racemes of 5-20 flowers emerge from the top, or near the top, of the stems. Each flower is about 3/4” in diameter and the corollas (petals) can be white, or shades of light violet to bluish purple. Plants here on the farm produce mostly purplish flowers even though the photos I have taken are all white. Not sure how that happened… The corollas are subtended by a tubular calyx with 5-lobes that are lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate. The lobes are fused toward the base and have the same type of stellate hairs.

The corollas (petals) are 5-lobed and broadly triangular, margins usually smooth, taper to a bluntly or sharply pointed tip, and are somewhat reflexed. The petals are also fused at the base. The flowers have 5 prominent, elongated, yellow anthers that really stand out. In the center is a greenish stigma attached to the 2-locular ovary by a long greenish-white style.

The flowers are replaced by round fruit that are around 1/2” in diameter, are light green with darker stripes, and are still subtended by the calyx. The fruits of this species aren’t edible.

After a while, the fruits turn yellowish and then orange…

The dried-up fruits hang on for quite a while into the following season.

Each fruit contains several flattened seeds that are a glossy yellow becoming dark or grayish brown when mature.

I will continue to add more photos as time goes by. Practice makes perfect.

There are more photos at the bottom of the page under the links for further reading.

I have enjoyed photographing and learning about the many wildflowers growing on the family farm and in other areas. The farm is in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
MSU-MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
iNATURALIST
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
PFAF(PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
GO BOTANY
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
FLORA FINDER
MARYLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
BACKYARD NATURE
U.S. WILDFLOWERS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

MORE PHOTOS…