Solanum umbelliferum var. wallacei

Island nightshade, Wallace's Nightshade

Family: Solanaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Island nightshade is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in the Channel Islands in canyon and chaparral habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from February to August, this plant produces violet to purple flowers 3 to 5 centimeters in diameter with small green basal spots. Growing 1 to 3 meters tall with much-branched stems that are densely soft-hairy and glandular, it develops an intricate, bushy form. Its leaves are 3 to 11 centimeters long, elliptic to ovate with entire margins and occasionally small lobes at the base, varying from rounded to heart-shaped. The fruit develops 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, ripening to yellow or deep purple-black.

Habitat: Canyons, chaparral

Bloom period: Feb-Aug

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: ChI

California counties: Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Mateo, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.