silverleaf nightshade

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves and violet or white flowers that can be poisonous to animals

noun

: solanácea de hoja plateada

The berries of silverleaf nightshade are sometimes used in traditional cheesemaking.

Examples

Farmers often remove silverleaf nightshade because it can be toxic to livestock.
The fields were overrun with silverleaf nightshade after the heavy rains.
The silverleaf nightshade is often found in disturbed areas.
Many gardeners consider silverleaf nightshade a troublesome weed.
Farmers often remove silverleaf nightshade because it can be toxic to livestock.
The berries of silverleaf nightshade are sometimes used in traditional cheesemaking.
Many gardeners consider silverleaf nightshade a troublesome weed due to its invasive nature.

Synonyms

silver-leaved nightshade

vssilverleaf nightshade

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves and round berries that people use to curdle milk

is the general botanical description rather than that specific name

silver-leaved nettle

vssilverleaf nightshade

9.9

A plant with silvery leaves, small blue or white flowers, and a round berry used to curdle milk

is the same botanical description not focused on that name

white horse nettle

vssilverleaf nightshade

Specialized

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves and violet, blue, or white flowers that has round berries used to curdle milk

is the general plant description rather than the alternate common name

Solanum elaeagnifolium

vssilverleaf nightshade

Specialized

9.9

A plant with silvery leaves, light blue or white flowers, and round berries sometimes used to curdle milk

is the everyday descriptive phrase rather than the Latin label

trompillo

vssilverleaf nightshade

Specialized

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves and blue or white flowers that makes berries used to curdle milk

focuses on the plant description not regional naming or usage emphasis

purple nightshade

vssilverleaf nightshade

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves, violet, blue or white flowers and round berries used to make milk into cheese

is the broad species description not focused on colour naming

prairie berry

vssilverleaf nightshade

9.9

A wild plant with silvery leaves and round berries that people use to curdle milk

is the full botanical-style description rather than that folk name

Surface Forms

silverleaf nightshade singular

silverleaf nightshades plural

Morphology

silverleaf + nightshade

This is a straightforward noun phrase where 'silverleaf' describes the foliage and 'nightshade' names the plant group; a learner who knows both words can infer it is a kind of nightshade with silvery leaves. The meaning is compositional and follows common English modifier+noun compounding, so it is immediately derivable.

Etymology

Silverleaf nightshade is named for how the plant looks and the group it belongs to. The leaves are pale and shiny, which gives the silver and leaf parts of the name, and it belongs to the nightshade family, which includes many 'poisonous' plants, so the name reminds you it is a silvery-leaved, sometimes harmful weed.