The large and economically important genus Solanum contains ca. 1,400 species distributed worldwide. One of the 12–14 major clades identified in the genus is the Leptostemonum clade, or the “spiny solanums.” Previous molecular phylogenetic studies have identified 14 major clades in the spiny solanums. Among these is the Carolinense clade, which contains Solanum carolinense, the type species of ...
