Sub-species : There are two sub-species, all with the same common name Black Nightshade. Solanum nigrum subsp. nigrum and Solanum nigrum subsp. schultesii. Whereas the normal Black Nightshade is widespread especially in the south of the UK, sub-species nigrum is more confined to the South and East. Sub-species schultesii is much less widespread and confines itself mainly to the SE of England.

Some similarities to : Bittersweet (both are of the Nightshade Family, but Black Nightshade has white-petalled flowers whereas Bittersweet has purple ones. The berries of Bittersweet, green at first as are those of Black Nightshade, turn red, whereas those of Black Nightshade turn black. The flower stems of Bittersweet bifurcate in two's, whereas those of Black Nightshade split into several at the same node.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The white five-petalled flower with swept-back petals and a central yellow column of five stamens bunched together into seemingly one, together with the small black berries.

Habitat includes waste places and farmland.

Like most plants belonging to the Nightshade Family, Black Nightshade contains poisonous solanines, in this specific case Solasodine and Solamargine. Solanines are poisonous steroidal alkaloids and steroidal glycosidic alkaloids.

SOLANINES WITHIN BLACK NIGHTSHADE Solamargine is found not only in Black Nightshade but also in Devils Apple (both of which belong to the Nightshade Family) and has potent cytotoxic activity on both hepatocytes and skin cells, initiating cell death by apoptosis. It also inhibits the growth of cancerous cells. Solamargine together with a symbiont Solasonine (another steroidal glycosidic alkaloid) has found use in a cream for external application to treat malignant melanomas (skin cancers), benign tumours and keratoses of the skin. Solasonine is also found in Devils Apple. Solasodine is a steroidal alkaloid and the aglycone (without sugar moieties) of the steroidal glycosidic alkaloid Tomatine found in un-ripe (green) Tomatoes (which is another member of the Nightshade Family). Tomatine is shown below for illustration purposes only, as far as is known it does not occur in Black Nightshade. Note how there is only a single methyl group (CH3) difference between Tomatine and Solamargine (in the upper right hand corner).