The family Solanaceae lists about 1,400 species worldwide, of which 143 are considered weeds (Sheppard et al. 2006). The genus Solanum is the most numerous of the family Solanaceae. Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. belongs to the clade Leptostemonum, commonly known as the “spiny solanum” clade. Solanum elaeagnifolium is native to northern Mexico and the American Southwest. A revision for the S. elaeagnifolium clade and analytic phytokeys are provided by Knapp et al. (2017). The silvery color of its leaves and their resemblance to the leaves of the olive tree (Elaeagnus) were the reasons for naming the species elaeagnifolium (Heap and Carter 1999). Nowadays, it is commonly known as silverleaf nightshade (Boyd et al. 1984). According to Krigas et al. (2021), in northern Greece S. elaeagnifolium is also called “Lernaean Hydra,” due to its intense regrowth after herbicide treatment. Solanum elaeagnifolium is known in South Africa as silverleaf bitter apple or Satansbos (Satan’s bush), indicating how harmful it is to the country (Wilson et al. 2013). In America and other parts of the world, it has received various names over the years, such as white horsenettle, bullnettle, tomatillo, meloncillo, and trompillo (Davis et al. 1945; Kwong et al. 2006). In Algeria, farmers call it echouka, which means thorn, because of the multiple spines on the stem (Adjim and Kazi Tani 2018). In South Korea, it received the name Eun-bit-kka-ma-jung, which is a combination of its silvery coloration and a common plant in the country (Hong et al. 2014).

The name of the genus Lycium originates from the Greek name lykion for a thorny shrub, derived from Lycia, the name of an ancient country in Asia Minor where a similar spiny shrub was found. The specific epithet ferocissimum comes from the Latin ferox, meaning “bold” or “fearless,” referring to the very spiny nature of the shrub (Green 1994; Parsons and Cuthbertson 2001).