Parish's nightshade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parish's nightshade
Scientific classification
Genus:	Solanum
Species:	parishii

Solanum parishii, also known as Parish's nightshade, is a fascinating plant found in western North America. It grows naturally from Oregon in the north, through California, and all the way down to Baja California in Mexico. This plant is quite adaptable! You can find it in many different places, like coastal areas, dry shrublands called chaparral, forests, and woodlands.

Parish's nightshade can be a perennial herb (a plant that lives for more than two years and has soft stems) or a subshrub (a small, woody plant). It can grow up to about one meter (which is about 3 feet) tall.

What Parish's Nightshade Looks Like

This plant has a stem that often has ridges or ribs. Its leaves are shaped like a spear or are almost oval. They can be up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) long. The edges of the leaves are usually smooth, but sometimes they can be a little wavy.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of Parish's nightshade grow in clusters. These clusters are shaped like an umbel, which means the flower stalks all come from one point, like the ribs of an umbrella. Each flower grows on a short stalk called a pedicel.

When a flower is fully open, its petals (called the corolla) are about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) wide. Most of the time, the flowers are a beautiful purple color. However, sometimes you might find white ones! In the very center of the flower, you'll see bright yellow parts called anthers. These are where the plant's pollen is made.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a small, round fruit. This fruit is a type of berry and is usually about one centimeter (less than half an inch) wide.