Solanum dulcamara - Bittersweet is a member of the genus Solanum, the same genus as the potato. It is native to Europe and Asia, but can be found throughout the northern hemisphere. Being a vine, bittersweet can grow to lengths of 4 meters when attaching itself to trees for support. The fruit is a red berry about 1 centimeter in length and serves as an important food source for birds such as the European thrushes, but is poisonous when consumed by humans or livestock.
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The Kalmar Union was a unified Scandinavian state existing from 1397 to 1523. It included Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Individual sovereignty of most local affairs was retained by each member, but domestic and foreign policy was directed by the reigning monarch. Its founding purpose was to check German intentions of expanding northwards. The Kalmar Union’s demise was caused by a lack of centralization. Denmark and Norway remained in their own union until 1814.
