Bittersweet nightshade

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Bittersweet nightshade
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), flower

Bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum dulcamara ), flower

Systematics
Asterids
Euasterids I
Order : Nightshade (Solanales)
Family : Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Genre : Nightshade ( solanum )
Type : Bittersweet nightshade
Scientific name
Solanum dulcamara
L.

The bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum Dulcamara ) is a plant from the genus of Solanaceae ( Solanum ) in the family of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). For rare or previously used common names include Alpranke , bittersweet , deer cabbage , Heischkraut , mice Wood , Saurebe , Seidel berry , wild stick Wurz and water Ranke . It is poisonous , it contains the saponin solanine and other alkaloids . The medicinally used stems are called Solani dulcamarae stipites .

description

Vegetative characteristics

The bittersweet nightshade is an herbaceous or woody climber whose parts above ground can spread over 8 to 10 meters. The shoots can grow spread out or creeping underground. The shoots are rarely hairless, mostly they are hairy, the density of the hairiness can vary greatly. The trichomes are simple and single-row or branched, both forms can appear mixed. They consist of four to eight cells, are up to 1.5 millimeters long and are usually white. The bark of older shoots is gray to yellowish gray in color.

The sympodial units contain many leaves . The leaves are very variable and can even take on different shapes and sizes on a trunk. They can be single or up to three times pinnate, are 2.5 to 7 inches long and 1.2 to 6 inches wide. The outline can be elliptical or ovoid to heart-shaped. The upper leaves are usually eyed, spear-shaped or equipped with one or two pinnate tips. The top is hairless to moderately hairy with single-row or branched trichomes up to 1.5 millimeters in length along the veins and on the leaf surface. The underside is sparse to dense and usually more hairy than the top, the shape of the trichomes resembles that of the top. Six to nine pairs of side veins arise from the central axis. The base is cut off or heart-shaped, the leaf margins are entire or usually lobed twice or rarely more often. The lobes are located at the base of the leaf blade and taper towards the incisions. The leaf blade is pointed or acuminate towards the front. The petiole is usually 0.5 to 2 centimeters long, rarely longer and has a hair similar to the stalk.

Inflorescences and flowers

Bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum dulcamara ), illustration
Bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum dulcamara )

The inflorescences are terminal or to the side, but not facing the leaves. They are 4 to 15 centimeters (but sometimes only 1 centimeter) long, many branched, hairless to moderately hairy and contain up to 40 flowers , of which only a few are open at the same time. The rachis is often tinged with purple. The inflorescence stalk is usually 1 to 7 centimeters (rarely only 0.5 centimeters) long. The flower stalks are 6 to 12 millimeters long at flowering time, measure 1 millimeter in diameter and are slender, protruding, often purple-green. They are hairless to sparsely hairy, the trichomes are usually single-row and rarely branched and up to 0.5 millimeters long. At the base, the peduncle is angled and surrounded by a small envelope that leaves a noticeably swollen cone on the axis of the inflorescence. The inflorescence axis is built up zigzag, the notches left by the flower stalks are irregularly far apart, usually 1 to 5 millimeters, rarely up to 10 millimeters.

The buds are twisted and the crown protrudes from the calyx long before flowering . The flowers themselves are five-fold, all flowers of an inflorescence are hermaphroditic. The calyx tube is broadly conical and 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. It is covered with broad triangular calyx tips that are less than 0.5 millimeters long. They are hairless or covered with single-row, white trichomes. The tip is pointed, the edge is papilous . The crown measures 1.5 to 2 centimeters in diameter and is split in a star shape deep (up to 3/4 of the way to the base). It is colored purple, violet or white, at the base of each corolla lobe there are green and bright white points. The corolla lobes are 6 to 8 millimeters long and 2.5 to 3 millimeters wide, at the time of flowering they are strongly bent back, they can be finely papillous at the tip and edges, or they are completely hairless. Occasionally, however, there is a dense hairiness of single-row, unbranched trichomes on the outside.

The tube created by the coalescence of the stamens is very fine, the stamens stand apart from one another within 0.5 millimeters, they are hairless. The anthers are 4.5 to 6 millimeters long, about 1 millimeter wide, strongly inclined and fused into a single row. They open via pores at the tips, and these pores do not expand into slits even with age. The ovary is hairless. The stylus is 5 to 9 millimeters long and also hairless. It has a fine, head-shaped scar with a papillary surface.

Fruits and seeds

Bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum dulcamara ), fruiting

The fruit is a spherical to elliptical berry . It becomes 0.6 to 1.1 inches long and 0.6 to 1.5 inches wide. When ripe it is bright red in color, the pericarp is thin and shiny. The flower stalks have elongated on the fruit to up to 1.3 centimeters and measure 1 to 1.5 millimeters in diameter. They are protruding and not noticeably woody. Each fruit contains more than 30  seeds . These are flat kidney-shaped, about 3 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide. The surface is pale yellow or brownish, finely grained, the cells of the seed coat are five-sided.

The species has the number of chromosomes 2n = 24.

Distribution and locations

Distribution of the bittersweet nightshade (after Knapp, 2013)

The bittersweet nightshade is common in large parts of Europe, Asia and northern North America. In Eurasia the distribution area extends from Spain to Siberia and northern Japan . It is assumed that the North American occurrences are introductions, as the first herbarium specimens only date from the early 19th century. However, it cannot be ruled out that the species has a natural circumboreal distribution. The species can be found at all altitudes up to 2000 m. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises in the Tyrolean part in the rear Hornbachtal above the Petersbergalpe in the stone scree up to 1500 m above sea level.

The species grows in a variety of locations in temperate climates, mostly near water and in open locations with sufficient light. Although it is woody, it rarely grows into the canopy, but is often found in thickets and between other low vegetation.

Systematics

The bittersweet nightshade has a very variable phenotype , so that in some cases independent species or different varieties have been described. The variation mainly affects the size and division of the leaves, hairiness and color of the flowers, and more rarely also a dependence on the location. For example, forms near the coast with succulent leaves were designated either as Solanum dulcamara var. Marinum or as Solanum littorale . The variety Solanum dulcamara var. Macrocarpum was introduced for large-fruited plants from the eastern edge of the distribution area. A clan of plants from the marshland near hot springs near Lenkoran ( Azerbaijan ), which consist of short, upright sprouts that are connected by creeping stems and only have small inflorescences with a few flowers, were described as Solanum kieseritzkii . As Solanum pseudopersicum hairless plants with not divided leaves were designated, as Solanum kitagawae hairless plants with divided leaves. Since a real dependency on geographical location and habitat cannot be proven, these species and varieties are no longer differentiated.

ecology

A bumblebee pollinates bittersweet nightshades by vibratory pollination

The plant is usually insects, primarily skin and Fly , pollinated . The pollen is in tubular anthers hidden. It can only get outside through a tiny hole on the underside of the dust bag. With the help of their flight muscles, some bee species can move the pollen outwards through powerful vibrations. This process is known as vibratory pollination. Self-pollination also often leads to fruit set. In plant communities one finds the bitter-sweet nightshade and the like. a. in low-lying willow bushes, low-moor bushes and alder scrub forests.

Both the larvae and adult specimens of the Colorado potato beetle feed on parts of the bitter-sweet nightshade. The original ranges of the two species do not overlap, but the Colorado beetle was introduced to Europe and the bitter-sweet nightshade to North America. For example, in the US state of Connecticut , the plant is the most common food plant of the beetle. It has been proven that the different ingredients throughout the plant's development have an influence on the development and reproductive cycles of the beetles.

The diaspores spread through digestive spread and Velcro spread .

Toxicity

All parts of the plant contain poisonous steroid alkaloids and related saponins . Various alkaloids have been detected in the leaves and berries. The main components are glycosides of the three Spirosolanalkaloide Tomatidenol , Soladulcidin and solasodine , sometimes there are also free alkaloids. Alpha-, beta- and gamma-solamarines are glycosides of tomatidenol, while soladulcines A and B are derived from soladulcidin. Solasonine and Solamargin are glycosides of Solasodine.

Other substances isolated from the plant are saponins such as soladulcosides A and B, free sterols such as tigogenin and lycopene .

The glyco-alkaloid content is highest in the green and yellowing berries, lower in the leaves and stems and lowest, or almost absent, in fully ripe fruits. For children, 30 to 40 (or less) unripe berries can be fatal.

The plant species possibly forms three different races, which do not differ externally, but have a different alkaloid composition. The Tomatidenol-containing race occurs west of the Elbe, the Soladulcidin-containing race east of the Elbe and the Solasodin-containing race in Hungary, Bulgaria and France.

The Tobacco Ordinance prohibits the use of the bitter-sweet nightshade in tobacco products.

pharmacology

The toxic drug itself is used less today; rather, finished preparations with standardized extracts ( Solani dulcamarae stipites ) from the stems are used. The use of these extracts for topical application is accepted by Commission E as a support for chronic eczema. Ingredients are: steroid alkaloid glycosides (0.07–0.4%), such as alpha- and beta solamarine, and steroid saponins (0.18%). Today, immunosuppressive, cortisone-like, anti-inflammatory and anti-itch effects of the preparations are considered certain. Accordingly, they are used as supportive therapy for chronic skin conditions such as eczema or neurodermatitis. Contraindications are pregnancy and breastfeeding. According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), use should be restricted to adults, should not last longer than two weeks and should not be given orally.

In folk medicine, the plant was also used as a blood cleansing tea, for nausea, rheumatism, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Homeopathic preparations were administered for feverish infections, diseases of the respiratory organs, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, joints and skin.

Ornamental plant

As an ornamental plant , the bittersweet nightshade is seldom planted in parks and natural gardens . It needs a full sun, but moist location. Propagation takes place via sowing and cuttings . There are several varieties.

Web links

Commons : Bittersweet nightshade ( Solanum dulcamara )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Ulrich: International dictionary of plant names in Latin, German, English and French . Verlag Heinrich Schmidt, Leipzig 1872. p. 222. ( digitized online ).
  2. ↑ Federal Association of Drug Manufacturers (BAH): EMA: Consumer information for medicinally used plants. In: BAH um Vier No. 103, June 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ a b c d e European Medicines Agency : Solanum (consumer information of the Herbal Medicinal Products Committee (HMPC)) , June 16, 2014, accessed June 17, 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Sandra Knapp: A revision of the Dulcamaroid Clade of Solanum L. (Solanaceae). In: Phyto Keys , Volume 22, May 10, 2013. pp. 1-428, doi: 10.3897 / phytokeys.22.4041 .
  5. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. Page 821. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  6. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 424.
  7. ↑ a b Eckehart J. Jäger (Ed.): Rothmaler Exkursionsflora von Deutschland . Springer Spectrum, 21st edition, 2016, ISBN 978-3662497074 page 715f.
  8. ↑ Dave Goulson: When the rodent beetle knocks twice: The secret life of insects , Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH Co KG, 2016. Section: Greenhouse flowers. ISBN 978-3-446-44700-4
  9. ↑ a b Bittersweet nightshade . In: BiolFlor, the database of biological-ecological characteristics of the flora of Germany.
  10. ^ J. Daniel Hare: Seasonal Variation in Plant-Insect Associations: Utilization of Solanum dulcamara by Leptinotarsa ​​decemlineata. In: Ecology , Volume 64, Number 2, April 1983. pp. 345-361.
  11. ↑ a b c d Drugs.com: Bittersweet Nightshade Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  12. ^ PM Boll: Alkaloidal glycosides from Solanum dulcamara. IV. The constitution of beta and gamma solamarine. In: Acta Chem Scand. 17, 1963, p. 1852.
    - PM Boll: Alkaloidal glycosides from Solanum dulcamara. V. The constitution of alpha-solamarine. In: Acta Chem Scand. 17, 1963, p. 2126.
  13. ^ YY Lee, F. Hashimoto, S. Yahara, N. Toshihiro, N. Yoshida: Steroidal glycosides from Solanum dulcamara. In: Chem Pharm Bull . 42, 1994, p. 707.
  14. ^ LH Briggs, LC Vining: Solanum alkaloids. Part X. The mode of linkage in the trisaccharide moiety of solanine and solasonine. In: J Chem Soc. 1953, p. 2809.
  15. ^ LH Briggs, RC Cambie, DM Hyslop: Solanum alkaloids. Part XVII. The sugar unit of solamargine. In: J Chem Soc. 1975, p. 2455.
  16. ↑ T. Yamashita, T. Matsumoto, S. Yahara, N. Yoshida, T. Nohara: Structures of two new steroidal glycosides, soladulcosides A and B from Solanum dulcamara. In: Chem Pharm Bull. 39, 1991, pp. 1626-1628.
  17. ^ RE Marker, RB Wagner, PR Ulshafer, EL Wittbecker, DP Goldsmith, CH Ruof: Sterols. CLVII. Sapogenins. 69. Isolation and structures of thirteen new steroidal sapogenins. New sources for known sapogenins. In: J Am Chem Soc. 65, 1943, p. 1199.
  18. ^ H. Sander: Solanum dulcamara. VII. Biosynthesis of spirosolanol glycosides in the ripening fruit. In: Planta Med . 11, 1963, p. 23.
  19. ↑ M. Blumenthal (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicine. Austin, TX 1998, American Botanical Council, p. 232.
  20. ^ Ingrid and Peter Schönfelder : The new manual of medicinal plants , Franckh-Kosmos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2004, ISBN 3-440-09387-5 .
  21. ↑ K. Hiller, MF Melzig: Lexicon of medicinal plants and drugs . 2nd Edition. 2010, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8274-2053-4 .
  22. ↑ Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Exkursionsflora von Deutschland . Founded by Werner Rothmaler. tape 5 : Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Springer, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 , pp. 451 .