Common Nightshade (Noun)
Meaning
Eurasian herb naturalized in America having white flowers and poisonous hairy foliage and bearing black berries that are sometimes poisonous but sometimes edible.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The garden bed was overrun with common nightshade, its black berries glistening in the sunlight.
- The hikers carefully avoided the common nightshade plants growing along the trail, knowing the berries were not always safe to eat.
- In the wild, common nightshade can be confused with other plants, but its hairy leaves are a distinguishing feature.
- The farmer's children were warned to stay away from the common nightshade that grew in the woods, as its berries could be toxic.
- The field guide noted that common nightshade was an introduced species, originally from Eurasia, but now naturalized in many parts of North America.