Solanum sisymbriifolium

"Solanum balbisii", "Solanum decurrens", "Solanum edule", "Solanum formosum" and "Solanum viscosum" redirect here. These all can also refer to other nightshade species; see below.
Sticky Nightshade
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. sisymbriifolium
Binomial name
Solanum sisymbriifolium
Lam.
Synonyms

Many, see text

Solanum sisymbriifolium is commonly known as Sticky Nightshade, the Fire-and-Ice plant, Litchi Tomato, or Morelle de Balbis.[1]

The small edible fruits are red on the outside and yellow inside. It grows inside a husk (like the tomatillo) which burst open when the fruit ripens. The flavor resembles sour cherries and a little bit like a tomato.[1]

This plant has been used as a trap crop to protect potatoes from potato cyst nematode.[2] The stems and leave contain solasodine which makes the plant very resistant to many pests and diseases, with the exception of potato beetles and tomato worms. It can also be used as a hedge plant to keep animals out of a garden, because it is covered with thorns.[1]

Contents

Synonyms

The Sticky Nightshade has been described under a number of now-invalid scientific names, many of them quite ambiguous homonyms:[3]

Solanum balbisii of Bojer based on Dunal in de Candolle is S. richardii
Solanum decurrens of Banks based on Dunal in de Candolle is S. jamaicense
Solanum decurrens of Wallich based on Dunal in de Candolle is S. americanum
Solanum decurrens of de Conceição Vellozo is S. hoehnei
Solanum edule of H.C.F. Schumacher & Thonning in Schumacher and Solanum edule var. multifidum of Dunal in de Candolle refer to the eggplant (S. melongena)
Solanum formosum of Dunal is S. crinitipes
Solanum mauritianum of Blanco is S. erianthum
Solanum viscosum of Philipp Salzmann based on Dunal in de Candolle is S. paludosum of Moric.

Several forms and varieties have been named, but these are generally not consiedered valid today:[3]

Solanum albiflorum of Philippi is S. pinnatum of Cavanilles
Solanum albiflorum of De Wildeman is S. anguivi
Solanum gracile of Moric. based on Dunal in de Candolle is S. agrarium
Solanum gracile of Dunal in de Candolle is S. chenopodioides of Lamarck
Solanum lilacinum of Rusby is S. pallidum
Solanum macrocarpum of Maximowicz (revised by Koidzumi) is S. dulcamara
Solanum oligospermum of Bitter is S: douglasii

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Litchi Tomato article in Mother Earth News, December 2009
  2. ^ RR (2006)
  3. ^ a b Solanaceae Source [2008]

References

External links