Solanum seaforthianum |
Solanum torvum |
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Brazilian nightshade |
bhankatiya, devil's fig, fausse aubergine, kausoni, prickly solanum, terongan, turkey berry |
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Habit | Shrubs or trees, erect, sparsely to moderately armed, 1–4 m, prickles brownish, straight to recurved, 3–7 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs sessile to short-stalked, stellate, 4–8-rayed, central ray shorter than or equal to lateral rays, moderately pubescent with unbranched, glandular hairs on inflorescences and calyces. | |
Leaves | petiolate; petioles twining around supports, 1–4 cm; blade simple to compound, elliptic to broadly ovate, (2–)3.5–10(–13) × (1–)2–9(–11) cm, margins entire to divided with up to 4 pairs of leaflets, leaflet margins entire, base truncate or slightly cordate. |
petiolate; petiole 1–5 cm; blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 7–23 × 4–14 cm, margins subentire to coarsely lobed with 3–4 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base truncate to subcordate and asymmetrical. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming lateral, extra-axillary, much-branched, to 100+-flowered, to 25+ cm. |
extra-axillary, unbranched or branched, 10–20-flowered, to 6 cm. |
Pedicels | inserted into small sleeve on inflorescence axis, 0.8–1.4 cm in flower and fruit. |
1–1.5 cm in flower, erect and 1.5–2.5 cm in fruit. |
Flowers | radially symmetric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, ca. 0.5 mm, nearly truncate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on lobe tips; corolla purple, stellate, 1–2.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue; stamens unequal due to unequal filaments; anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous. |
radially symmetric; calyx slightly accrescent, unarmed, 4–8 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent with unbranched, gland-tipped hairs, lobes lanceolate; corolla white, stellate, 2–3 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers narrow and tapered, 6–9 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous or glandular-puberulent at apex. |
Berries | bright shiny red, globose, 0.8–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
green to yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | pale yellowish tan, flattened, 4–4.5 × 2.5-3 mm, minutely pitted. |
light brown, flattened, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
Climbing | or scrambling vines, woody, unarmed, to ca. 3 m, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, hairs white, unbranched, ca. 0.2 mm. |
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2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum seaforthianum |
Solanum torvum |
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Phenology | Flowering year-round. | Flowering year-round in frost-free areas. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Disturbed sites. |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) |
Distribution |
FL; Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama); South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela) [Introduced in North America; introduced also elsewhere in South America (Argentina, Paraguay, Peru), Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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AL; FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela) [Introduced in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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Discussion | Solanum seaforthianum is widely cultivated as an ornamental and sporadically escapes in Florida. A similar species with twining petioles, S. laxum Sprengel, is occasionally cultivated in California. It is distinguished from S. seaforthianum by having tufts of hairs in the vein axils of the abaxial leaf surfaces, white rather than violet corollas, and equal stamens. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Solanum torvum is listed by the United States federal government and several states as a noxious weed. It is occasional to rare in peninsular Florida and could possibly become invasive elsewhere in subtropical climates. The green fruits are used in Asian and West Indian cuisine, often as an addition to soups and curries. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | Solanaceae > Solanum | Solanaceae > Solanum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Andrews: Bot. Repos. 8: plate 504. (1808) | Swartz: Prodr., 47. (1788) — name proposed for conservation |
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