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Black Nightshade
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Black Nightshade
ative Photo: Awaneesh Kumar
Common name: Black nightshade, Black-berry night shade, Nightshade, Poisonberry • Manipuri: ꯂꯩ ꯄꯨꯡꯈꯥꯡꯒ Leipungkhangga • Tamil: மணதக்காளி Manatakkali • Hindi: Mokoi मोकोय • Malayalam: Mulaku-thakkali • Telugu: Kasaka • Kannada: ಕಾಕಿ Kaaki, ಗಣಿಕೆ Ganike • Marathi: Laghukavali • Urdu: Makoya मकोया • Tangkhul: Hantehan • Nepali: कालो बिही Kaalo Bihee, काली गेडी Kaalee Gedee, जङ्गली बिही Jangalee Bihee
Botanical name: Solanum nigrum      Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)
Black nightshade is a plant, an annual weed that grows up to 60cm tall, is branched and usually erect, growing wild in wastelands and crop fields. Alternate leaves are ovate deep green with an indented margin and acuminate at the tip. Flowers are white with yellow colored centre. The berries are green at early stage and turn to orange or black when ripened.
Medicinal uses: Black nightshade is used for skin diseases, rheumatism, and gout. Juice of the herb is given in chronic enlargement of the liver. It can cure ear, and eye diseases. It is sometimes prescribed to "remove the effect of old age."
Identification credit: Radhika Vatsan Photographed in Azamgarh, U.P. and Delhi.
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