Common names: Potato creeper, Climbing nightshade, Brazilian nightshade (English); Aartappelranker (Afrikaans)

Origin: Tropical America

Description

Slender, herbaceous trailer or climber up to 3m or higher, often with softly woody base or older parts, lacking hairs or thorns. Leaves soft, smooth, bright green, deeply lobed or even compound with individual leaflets; margin smooth. Flowers carried in drooping sprays at branch tips, blue to mauve or purple with prominent yellow anthers. Fruit spherical, up to 9 mm across, shiny red when mature.

Discussion

Introduced as an ornamental. Climbs into shrubs and trees, usually in woodland.