Nightshade

the common name of several plants. The botanical name is Solanum. The ground cherry, potato, and tomato belong to the nightshade family. The common or black nightshade has an erect, angular stem, with spreading leaves and drooping umbels of white flowers. The fruit is a globose black berry. It has been introduced into this country from Europe. It is a common weed in waste places. It has the reputation of being poisonous; yet the berries and leaves are eaten by animals without apparent injury. The leaves are boiled by many people for greens. The drug known as belladonna is extracted from an allied species, called "the deadly nightshade."