RED AND BLACK

I enjoyed the article by Tim Maddams on the subject of navel pennywort (Navel gazing, 12 December 2018), but was puzzled by his reference to the “bright red and shiny berries” that are very likely to be “the last stand of this year’s deadly nightshade”. I have photographed deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and at no point in its cycle does it produce bright red berries.

Perhaps Mr Maddams was referring to the much more common woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), that does indeed produce bright red berries. These berries can also make you sick, but they are nowhere near as toxic as those of belladonna.

A. Reader, Norfolk

The Editor responds: If you are keen on the symbolism of deadly nightshade, you should read L.P. Hartley’s The Go-between. It’s superb.