Carolina Horsenettle

Identifying Characteristics:

• Alternate leaf pattern
• 1-3 ft tall
• Sharp prickles on veins and stems
• Hairy stems
• White, star-shaped flower with bright yellow anthers (source of pollen)
• Rhizomes
• Lobed leaves

Plant Longevity:

• Perennial

Where Commonly Found:

• Pastures and hay fields
• Waste areas
• Roadsides

Time of Most Concern:

• Late summer when berries are green

Compound that Causes Concern:

• Solanine, a glycoalkaloid

Part of Plant Most Toxic:

• Leaves
• Stems
• Green berries are more of a concern than ripe yellow berries
  • In a related species, sliverleaf nightshade (S. eleagnifolium), ripe berries are more toxic than green berries. 0.1% of total body weight of this plant (1 lb per 1000 lb cow) is considered toxic.

Livestock Species Affected:

• Cattle
• Sheep
• Goats
• Horses
• Swine

Pasture, Stored Feed, Both:

• Both
• Greater concern when fed as chopped silage as sorting of prickled plants to avoid consumption is difficult

Clinical Signs:

• Weakness
• Slowed breathing
• Slowed pulse
• Incoordination
• Inability to stand
• Death

Amount Needed to be Consumed for Clinical Signs / Death:

• The amount depends on solanine concentration and how much is eaten. For a mature horse, it generally takes a pound of plant material or more to cause poisoning
• Toxic effects in sheep = 225 mg solanine / kg body weight, orally
  • This translates to 3.6 oz of solanine for a 1000 lb cow
• Lethal effects in sheep = 500 mg solanine / kg body weight, orally
  • This translates to 8.2 oz of solanine for a 1000 lb cow