Bittersweet Nightshade

Solanum dulcamara

Family Solanaceae
Notable Features
Leaves: Leaves ovate*, with a pointed tip and two small pointed lobes* at the base.
Flowers/ Fruit: Five-petaled, violet flowers appear as offshoots of the woody stem May through October. Each of the five petals bends backward and away from the center of the flower, which contains a set of pointed, converging, yellow anthers*. Bright red, plump, ovular berries appear August through May, hanging in clusters off the main stem.
Bark: The smooth bark of the woody stems is a light brownish-gray.
Size/Shape: A small woody-stemmed climbing vine* that usually does not exceed 7 feet (2½ meters). Found creeping over low-growing bushes and forest shrubbery.
Location on Campus

(click for map)
Growing in the shrubbery along the road between the library and C-Lot, just behind the Chapel's Field thicket. Also found in shrubs on the the left as you ascend Rabb Steps.
Uses
WARNING: Do not consume any portion of this plant. The berries look juicy and attractive, yet are very poisonous.
Except where specifically noted, all text, photographs, and drawings copyright Chris Bersbach and Lisa Leombruni 2002. No part of this page may be reproduced without the express permission of the authors.