Flowers in cymes have a 4 mm. 5-lobed calyx, a dark lavender to deep violet, shallowly 5-lobed, corolla with 2 green dots at the base of each segment; 5 stamens, prominent yellow anthers.  Dos Picos County Park, San Diego Co., CA. 3-23-08. © Joan Avise.

Purple Nightshade
(Chaparral nightshade)

Solanum xanti

Sometimes split into Solanum umbelliferum (Blue Witch Nightshade), S. xanti (Chaparral or Purple Nightshade) and S. parishii (Parish's Nightshade). All 3 species are 1 1/2 to 3 ft. tall, deep-rooted, shrubby perennials in undisturbed sagebrush and chaparral communities.  S. umbelliferum is common, xanti is uncommon in the Santa Ana Mtns. north of Trabuco Cyn., and parishii is only known from Corona del Mar (Roberts). However, "the three species appear to be separated by fairly trivial overlapping characters and several specimens have been identified as intermediates between umbelliferum and xanti" (Roberts) so they are lumped here.

Flowering is year round for S. umbelliferum, Feb-July for the other two. 

Native to Western North America

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Laguna Canyon, E side at Big Canyon, 2-2-14. © Ron Vanderhoff.
Laguna Canyon, E side at Big Canyon, 2-2-14. © Ron Vanderhoff.

Laguna Canyon, E side at Big Canyon, 2-2-14. © Ron Vanderhoff.
Laguna Canyon, E side at Big Canyon, 2-2-14. © Ron Vanderhoff.

The leaves are elliptic to ovate, 3/4 to 1 1/2 in. long., smooth margined, sometimes wavy. Dos Picos County Park, San Diego Co., CA. 3-23-08. © Joan Avise.
Santiago Truck Trail, Cleveland National Forest, Orange Co., CA. 4-25-09. © Joan Avise.

S. parishii is said to be distinguished by a ribbed or ridged stem that is not hairy; S. umbelliferum has short, dense, branched hairs on the stem; and S. xanti may or may not have hairy, glandular stems can and hybridize with the other two (Jepson Manual). Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Laguna Niguel, CA. 5-13-06. © Joan Avise.
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Laguna Niguel, CA. 5-13-06. © Joan Avise.

The flowers close into buds at night. Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange. CA.3-02-08. © Joan Avise.
The fruit is a 5/16 in. green berry. Mature fruits remain green in S. xanti (Clarke); S. umbelliferum fruits turn purple when ripe and resemble tiny eggplants (Wikipedia).  As in other members of the genus, the fruits contain toxic alkaloids. Fullerton Arboretum, Fullerton, CA. 5-02-09. © Joan Avise.