Solanum bahamense explained

Solanum bahamense, commonly known as the Bahama nightshade, is a plant in the nightshade family. It is native across the West Indies, from the Florida Keys east to Dominica (excluding Hispaniola).^[1] It is a common species in coastal habitats, often on calcareous soils.^[1]

Taxonomy

Originally described by Carl Linnaeus, it has a convoluted taxonomic history. S. bahamense is known by many junior synonyms and involved in several cases of homonymy.^[2]

Some additional varieties of S. bahamense have been described, but they are not considered taxonomically distinct today:^[2]

• Solanum bahamense var. inerme Dunal
• Solanum bahamense var. lanceolatum Griseb. (Not to be confused with S. lanceolatum.)
• Solanum bahamense var. luxurians D'Arcy
• Solanum bahamense var. rugelii D'Arcy
• Solanum bahamense var. subarmatum (Willd.) O.E.Schulz

Notes and References

1. Strickland-Constable . Rose . Schneider . Harold . Ansell . Stephen . Russell . Stephen . Knapp . Sandra . 2010 . Species identify in the Solanum bahamense species group (Solanaceae, Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum) . Taxon . 59 . 1 . 209–226 . 10.1002/tax.591020.
2. Web site: Solanaceae Source . 2008 . Solanum bahamense . September 26, 2008.