Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Solanum nitidibaccatum Bitter (family Solanaceae): a new distributional record of hairy nightshade for the flora of India
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Research Articles | Published: 08 July, 2026
First Page: 0
Last Page: 0
Views: 1
Keywords: Himachal Pradesh, Himalaya, New addition, n Solanumn , South America
Abstract
Solanum nitidibaccatum Bitter belonging to the Morelloid clade of genus Solanum (family Solanaceae) is popularly known as hairy nightshade. It is native to South America, but has been introduced in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Recently, S. nitidibaccatum has been documented from Pakistan, and the present collection of this species from Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh represents a new distributional record for the flora of India. It is characterized by densely glandular pubescent hairs on the body and shiny, green berries with a whitish mosaic pattern. The species possesses medicinal properties and is also used in the preparation of beverages.
References
Amin R, Sultan A, Khan A, Akhtar N, Shah SA, Rashid M, Khan R, Erum S (2025) Additions to flora of Pakistan: five new records in the genera Lepidium, Shangwua and Solanum from Swat, Malakand, Dir and Chitral districts. Pak J Bot 57(3):1059–1063. https://doi.org/10.30848/PJB2025-3(6)
Das M, Bandyopadhyay S, Mitra S (1997) Report on Solanum diphyllum L. – A Central American plant from India. J Econ Taxon Bot 21:158–160
Deanna R, Barboza GE, Bohs L, Dodsworth S, Gagnon E, Giacomin LL, Knapp S, Orejuela A, Poczai P, Särkinen T, Smith SD, Olmstead RG (2025) A new phylogeny and phylogenetic classification for Solanaceae. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.10.663745. bioRxiv 2025.07.10.663745
Fawzi NM, Habeeb HR (2016) Taxonomic study on the wild species of genus Solanum L. in Egypt. Ann Agric Sci 61(2):165–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aoas.2016.10.003
Jain SK, Rao RR (1977) A handbook of field and herbarium methods. Today and Tomorrow’s Printers, New Delhi
Kalidass C, Panda PC (2019) The genus Solanum L. (Solanaceae) in Eastern Ghats of India. Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar
Khamar H, Dallahi Y, Bakali HA (2024) New records of three alien Solanum species in Morocco. Check List 20(2):544–552. https://doi.org/10.15560/20.2.544
Knapp S, Barboza GE, Bohs L, Särkinen T (2019) A revision of the Morelloid clade of Solanum L. (Solanaceae) in North and Central America and the Caribbean. PhytoKeys 123:1–144. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.123.31738
Knapp S, Särkinen TE, Barboza GE (2023) A revision of the South American species of the Morelloid clade (Solanum L.; Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 231:1–341. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.231.100894
Meena SL, Dash SS, Mishra S, Kumari MR, Harikrishna P (2020) Solanaceae. In: Mao AA, Dash SS (eds) Flowering plants of India: an annotated checklist (Dicotyledons), vol 3. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, pp 196–205
Moerman DE (1998) Native American ethnobotany. Timber, Portland
Sahoo PB, Dash S (2024) New distributional record of Solanum diphyllum (Solanaceae) from Sikkim, India. Nelumbo 66(1):148–149. https://doi.org/10.20324/nelumbo/v66/2024/173331
Salerno L, Modica MN, Pittalà V, Romeo G, Siracusa MA, Di Giacomo C, Sorrenti V, Acquaviva R (2014) Antioxidant activity and phenolic content of microwave-assisted Solanum melongena extracts. Sci World J. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/719486
Särkinen T, Gonzáles P, Knapp S (2015) Four new non-spiny Solanum (Solanaceae) species from South America. PhytoKeys 44:39–64. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.44.8693
Särkinen T, Olmstead RG, Bohs L, Knapp S (2013) A phylogenetic framework for evolutionary study of the nightshades (Solanaceae): a dated 1000-tip tree. BMC Evol Biol 13(1):214. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-13-214
Särkinen T, Poczai P, Barboza GE, Van Der Weerden GM, Baden M, Knapp S (2018) A revision of the Old World Black Nightshades (Morelloid clade of Solanum L. Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 106:1–223. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.106.21991
Simoglou KB (2024) Solanum nitidibaccatum. In: Vladimirov V, Tan K, Biel B. 2024. New floristic records in the Balkans: 55. Phytol Balcan 30(3):377–412. https://doi.org/10.7546/PhB.30.3.2024.12
Singh LJ, Kasana S (2025) A new species of Solanum L. (Solanaceae) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: taxonomic and phylogenetic insights. Feddes Repert 136:202–217. https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.70014
Singh P, Sinha BK, Dash SS (2019) Plants of Indian Himalayan Region: an annotated checklist & pictorial guide, Part 2, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, pp. 604–610
Sullivan JR (1993) Solanaceae. In: Flora of North America North of Mexico, Vol. 3. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (Eds.). New York and Oxford. Available online at: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=113071 [Accessed 16 Sept. 2025]
Author Information
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India