Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae
Parish nightshade
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Solanaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae (Parish nightshade) is a native California subshrub in the Solanaceae family.
Parish nightshade is a California native perennial found in southern California mountains in grassy and brushy slopes, pine-oak woodland or forest at elevations up to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces pale lavender to blue-purple (occasionally white) flowers 15 to 22 millimeters in diameter in small umbel-like clusters. Growing 3 to 10 decimeters tall with much-branched stems that are generally glabrous, it forms a bushy, multi-stemmed habit. Its leaves are 2 to 7 centimeters long, elliptic to oblong or lanceolate, with tapered bases and acute to rounded tips. The fruit is a green berry approximately 7 to 9 millimeters in diameter.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy and brushy slopes, pine-oak woodland or forest
Elevation: <= 2000 m
Outside California: southern Oregon, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Lycianthes: Solanum anthers open by pores at tips; Lycianthes anthers split lengthwise.; vs Physalis: Solanum lacks papery lantern around fruit; Physalis has distinctive inflated calyx covering the berry.; vs Phacelia: Solanum has yellow anther cone; Phacelia has protruding stamens and coiled flower clusters.; vs Capsicum: Solanum has rotate star flowers; Capsicum has flowers with spreading petals not forming flat star.; vs Salvia: Solanum has 5 stamens forming yellow cone; Salvia has 2 stamens and square stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae native to California?
Yes. Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae bloom?
Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae belong to?
Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae is in the Solanaceae family, genus Solanum.
What habitat does Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae grow in?
Solanum umbelliferum var. spencerae grows in Grassy and brushy slopes, pine-oak woodland or forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Solanum umbelliferum var. tenuilobatum — Narrow-lobed nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. umbelliferum — Blue witch nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. wallacei — Island nightshade
- Solanum umbelliferum var. xanti — Purple nightshade
- Solanum americanum — American black nightshade
- Solanum carolinense var. carolinense — Carolina horse-nettle
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.