Solanum viarum
Solanum sisymbriifolium
tropical soda apple
sticky nightshade, viscid nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 3–6 cm;
blade simple, ovate to suborbiculate, 7–10(–20) × 6–8(–15) cm, margins coarsely lobed with 3–5 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely toothed, base truncate to cordate.
petiolate;
petiole 2–5 cm;
blade simple to compound, broadly ovate, 8–15 × 3–8.5 cm, margins deeply lobed to divided with 4–7 lobes or leaflets per side, lobes or leaflets with rounded to acute lobes, base acute or cordate.
extra-axillary, sessile or nearly so, unbranched, 3–5-flowered.
extra-axillary, unbranched, 4–11-flowered, 4–15 cm.
0.7–1.1 cm in flower, 1–2 cm in fruit.
0.5–1 cm in flower, 1.5–2.5 cm in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed or sparsely prickly, 3–4 mm, densely pubescent, lobes triangular;
corolla greenish or whitish, stellate, 1.5–2.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 5.5–7(–10) mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary densely pubescent, hairs glandular and eglandular.
radially symmetric;
calyx accrescent, moderately prickly, 6–9 mm, densely pubescent, hairs simple or sessile and stellate, glandular and eglandular, lobes subtending to almost completely and loosely covering fruit at maturity, deltate;
corolla white or pale blue, rotate-pentagonal, 2–3 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal or nearly so;
anthers narrow and tapered, 8–10 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary glabrous to sparsely glandular-pubescent.
light green mottled with dark green when young, yellow when ripe, globose, (1.5–)2–3 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
bright red, globose, 1–2 cm diam., glabrous to sparsely glandular-pubescent, juicy, without sclerotic granules.
reddish brown, flattened, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
pale yellow, plump, 3–3.5 × 2–3 mm, minutely pitted.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum viarum
Solanum sisymbriifolium
In the United States, Solanum viarum was first collected in Florida in 1988 and has subsequently become an aggressive and invasive species in the Southeast. It is on the Federal Noxious Weeds List and is classified as a noxious weed or plant pest in many states. Cattle and other animals eat the fruits and spread the seeds through their feces, and the seeds are coated with a sticky substance that makes them adhere to farm equipment when the plants are mowed. It can form large patches that are difficult to eradicate due to their extensive root systems and sharp prickles. It is a major agricultural pest and a threat to native ecosystems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The bright red fruits of Solanum sisymbriifolium are edible, and the plants are used in pest control and as a nematode and beetle trap in Europe and the United Kingdom; however, cultivation of this species should be discouraged due to its invasive potential. Reports of this species from Oregon are old; it is not naturalized there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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