| Carolina horse nettle is a member of the nightshade family, and is an upright prickly plant with creeping roots. The prickles on this plant tend to be a yellowish color. The flowers are white with a diameter of 1 1/4 inch across. This plant normally blooms during the months of April - October. Carolina horse nettle can be found in disturbed areas, sandy or loam soils. This plant has become a troublesome plant in places where it has been introduced and although native to the south it is rather hard to eradicate in cultivated areas of the southern states. Horse nettle contains the toxic agent glycoalkaloid which can cause anorexia, depression, excess salivitation, diarrhea, trembling, weakness, and colic. |
