Talk:Solanum dulcamara

Untitled
I had read in a book on wild plants that the berries can make a nice jam. The poision is nutralized by boiling. I found that very interesting and would be interested if there is any confimation on this.

Propose name change
Because "Bittersweet" is a regional name for this plant (used for a completely different plant in North America), this page should be moved to "Solanum dulcramara", with a disambig page for "Bittersweet". Comments? SB Johnny 14:26, 3 June 2006 (UTC)


 * As there seems to be no objections (and yet another meaning provided by an IP editor), I will move this, and set up a disambig page. SB Johnny 18:56, 5 June 2006 (UTC)


 * This article is misnamed - the binomial is Solanum dulcamara. Man vyi 15:21, 10 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Wow, probably my typo, maybe MPF's? Changing it now. SB Johnny 15:25, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

The WDNR (at least; I have suspicions that this is mentioned elsewhere as well) refers to this plant as "Deadly Nightshade" on the Chiwaukee Prairie Plant List, not to be confused with true Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna). It may be a good idea to mention this somewhere and/or make a disambiguation page clarifying this. Isangaft220 (talk)


 * When I was growing up in USA this plant was called Poison(ous) Nightshade and Deadly Nightshade. If it is a misnomer it should at least be mentioned somewhere? At any rate, why favor British folk names over NA ones? They are all common names which a person may recall and be attempting to reference, correct? 98.180.8.57 (talk) 08:50, 31 January 2011 (UTC)

Homeopathy Section
I found one line to be largely opinion: "Bittersweet is an important remedy for treating herpes infections and allergies." As eceryone knows, the efficacy of homeopathic medicine is hotly disputed, and this POV statement has no place here. I am deleting it. Mihovil


 * Disputes about the effectiveness of homeopathy are discussed in the homeopathy article. Putting it back in (with more qualified language), as it is a usage of the plant (other plant articles have references to their uses in magic and witchcraft as well). SB Johnny 09:45, 28 June 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm really worried about this page apparently recommending a poisonous plant as a medicine, without sufficient qualifiers. Donald Ian Rankin 12:46, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Text on edibility
I've moved the following text from the article to here. It needs some work to comply with the policy against original research.


 * The berries have a very bitter taste, so it is not reccommended that you even try them for that reason. (editor's note: I ate a few when I didn't know any better. It is strange, however [and fortunate] that I didn't get sick.)

Kingdon (talk) 04:02, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Height
The article says the plant grows to 4 meters - however, here in New England, I'm sure I've seem it growing much taller (using existing trees as "trellises", of course). How likely is it that there might be a source to verify this? Huw Powell (talk) 00:12, 16 March 2009 (UTC)


 * This reference says 7 m. On the other hand Flora of Pakistan says 1.2m. Hard to say whether one is wrong or whether it is due to differing conditions - heights can vary between individual plants and make it hard to get a handle on. Kingdon (talk) 22:10, 16 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, the one that has grown for several years now, some quarter of a mile from where I live, hardly rises above 4 inches. But then, no trees grow near it... -- 62.78.226.196 (talk) 13:00, 29 June 2012 (UTC)

more flowers
all i want is more than one flower that was poison i need them for 4h —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.18.252.102 (talk) 20:56, 9 July 2009 (UTC)

This business about the mystery syrup and the secret doctor...
...is beyond ludicrous. NO sourcing for anything, no explanation for what these secret mystery products are, lots of unknown people with presumptory and unverifiable bona fides popping up over the course of a few paragraphs. What's the doctor's daughter got to do with anything? Who is this Fred person in Miami? Can we verify anything about the NIH, their knowledge of this, their refusal to divulge the secret.

This stuff needs to be written (first) in a way that makes some kind of simple sense, and (second) can be sourced and verified. I don't want to take it out, on the off chance that some of this stuff actually belongs in here, but frankly it's the funniest and least sensible thing I've read on Wikipedia, so it probably should go.

Davidals (talk) 02:29, 28 March 2010 (UTC)

Useful source
I haven't the time to update the article at the moment, but this source might come in handy for someone looking to do so later: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/soldul/all.html#163 Zell Faze (talk) 17:24, 3 October 2013 (UTC)

Dulcamara for cough & flu
Homeopathic medicine (Dulcamara)best cough & flu medicine. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2605:E000:2147:0:3DA4:ED2B:A1AE:A97 (talk) 01:35, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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Chromosome count
[info from Wikispecies S. dulcamara, July 2020]
 * Chromosome count: 2n=24

Wiki Education assignment: Public Writing
— Assignment last updated by Jo.starpower (talk) 22:52, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

"One of the less poisonous members of solanaceae"
Infact there are dozens upon dozens of edible completely non toxic Sols, so this statement doesnt make sense. Bittersweet nightshade is arguably on the more toxic side, but it is fortunely bitter. From what ive read deadly nightshade is quite tasty, perhaps why it is associated with more poisonings. 2A04:4A43:413F:D435:0:0:271C:D08A (talk) 03:08, 9 January 2024 (UTC)

Native to North America or not?
"It has been documented that Indigenous people of North America used the roots for relief of fever and nausea." This seems to be in contradiction with the statement of where it is native and where it has spread unless this is referring to use after the beginning of the Colonial period. I've seen other sources describe it as non-native but "naturalized" in North America. Ealtram (talk) 00:13, 25 May 2024 (UTC)