All members of the Solanum family produces fruit, some are edible, such as Solanum lycopersicum, or Tomato, while others are poisonous. The berries of Forest Nightshade are not considered edible for humans, but birds and animals like to eat them. They swallow the seeds, and then distribute the seeds with fertiliser in their droppings. Forest nightshade can be found on tracks and in clearings, and is one of the colonisers of rainforest.

The leaves are covered in spikes, which deters animals like the Swamp Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, from eating them. Forest Nightshade grows to about 0.5m tall, and tends to sprawl across the ground.

The flowering plant photographed here is located in the gully of Ford Creek, adjacent toteh fire trail at map coordinates 58 710, 19 150.

Click on either photograph to download a higher resolution image (T.Hastings September 2009).