Home | > | List of families | > | Solanaceae | > | Solanum | > | viarum |
Synonyms: |
Solanum chloranthum DC. Solanum khasianum C.B. Clarke var. chatterjeeanum Sengupta Solanum viridiflorum Schltdl. |
Common names: | Tropical soda apple (English) |
Frequency: | An uncommon introduction |
Status: | Introduced |
Description: |
Herb or small shrub, 50–150 cm tall, with densely hairy stems and branches with recurved (2–5 mm long) and straight spines (up to 20 mm long) on the leaf stalks and the leaf veins. Leaves: lamina 6–20 × 6–15 cm, dark green, glossy above, duller below, hairy, simple, broadly ovate with blunt lobes, with spines on the veins and hairs on both sides; petiole 3–7 cm long with prickles. Flowers 1.5 cm across, white in clusters of 1–5. Fruit a berry, 2-3 cm in diameter, mottled light and dark green becoming pale yellow when mature, smooth containing c. 400 brown seeds, 2–3 mm in diameter. |
Notes: | This species is not mentioned at all in FZ 8(4) and may, therefore, be a recent introduction. It has also previously been misidentified as S. aculeatissimum. |
Derivation of specific name: | viarum: of the wayside, ruderal |
Habitat: | In disturbed ground, sometimes on roadsides along forest margins. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay |
Zimbabwe distribution: | C,E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Sunday 14 January 2018 |
Literature: |
Witt, A. (2017). Guide to the naturalized and invasive plants of Southeast Asia CAB International, UK. Pages 122 - 123. (Includes a picture). |
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