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The Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) belongs to Solanaceae (the Nightshade family). It is an annual plant that is distributed widely, throughout Japan and the northern hemisphere. This herb grows generally on roadsides and fields, and can reach 30-60 cm in height. Leaves are broad ovate with wavy-toothed edges. From August to October, 4 to 8 small white flowers with a diameter of 6-7 mm bloom in a raceme. The fruits are spherical, 7 to 10 mm in diameter, ripen from green to purple-black, and are characterized by their almost lack of luster and stalks that are attached to the stem without much clumping. The plant contains toxic solanin, and the fruits contain toxic fatty oils. It is called "龍葵" in Taiwanese Chinese and "龍葵" (long kui) in Chinese.
In Korean, it's called "kka-ma-jung" (까마중). This is a compound word consisting of "coal-black" (kka-ma: 까마) + "monk" (chung: 중). The name comes from the fact that the shape of the dark, ripe fruit resembles the shaved head of a monk. In Korea, the tender new shoots that appear in early spring are soaked to remove their bitterness and then eaten as namul (까마중나물).
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