Carolina horse-nettle

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Carolina horse-nettle

Carolina horse-nettle calyces

Carolina horse-nettle inflorescence

Carolina horse-nettle flowers

Carolina horse-nettle fruit

Carolina horse-nettle

Carolina horse-nettle flower

Carolina horse-nettle flowers

Carolina horse-nettle leaf prickles

Carolina horse-nettle flowers

Carolina horse-nettle

Morphology

Stem

Erect, slender, sparingly branched, covered with tiny star-shaped hairs; spines yellow, up to 1/4 inch long.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, short-stalked, broadly elliptic to ovate, 2 to 6 inches long, 1 to 4 inches wide, star-shaped hairy; margins wavy toothed or shallowly lobed; prickles on midribs and veins.

Inflorescence

Raceme-like, 5-20-flowered, in leaf axils.

Flower

Calyces bell-shaped, lobes 5, lanceolate, star-shaped hairy; corollas widely spreading, 5-lobed, .75 to 1.25 inch wide, white to pale bluish lavender; stamens 5, anthers thickened, yellow; tips coming together, enclosing style.

Fruit

Berries, spherical, 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter, yellow; seeds numerous, egg-shaped, yellowish.

Ecology

Habitat

Dry, disturbed sites, waste areas, overgrazed pastures, open woodlands, and cultivated fields, on sandy or gravelly soils.

Distribution

East 2/3 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

The berries are poisonous to humans and livestock.

Uses

Though the berries are poisonous, pheasants, quail, prairie chickens, and wild turkeys consume the mature fruits and seeds. Many years ago the fruits were used as sedatives and antispasmodics to treat epilepsy. Native Americans mixed crushed leaves in milk and left the mixture to attract and kill flies.

Additional Notes