Solanum triflorum (Wild Tomato) - photos and description

 


Looking straight down on plant

 

 

 

 


Clump of several plants

 

 

General: Annual plant with a low, spreading growth habit. Long hairs on stems.

Flowers: Flowers are white, grow in pairs, are usually rotated downward, flower measured at 8 mm diameter and 5 mm long.

Fruit: Fruit is a smooth, green berry about 12 mm in diameter.

Leaves: Leaves alternate, ovate, deeply lobed, leaf highlighted in photo above was 4.5 cm long (including petiole), and 2 cm wide. Long hairs on nerves of leaf bottoms and leaves ciliate.

Height: Budd's Flora says the plant can grow into mats 60 cm diameter, we measured plants 25 cm wide, and 20 cm tall.

Habitat: Disturbed soil such as badger and gopher mounds.

Abundance: Fairly common, ranked as an S4 by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.

Origin: Native.

When and where photographed: Photos taken July 21st, bare soil beside badger holes, prairie about 400 km north west of our home in Regina, SK.