Solanum linnaeanum

Solanum linnaeanum is a nightshade species known as devil's apple and, in some places where it is introduced, apple of Sodom. The latter name is also used for other nightshades and entirely different plants elsewhere, in particular the poisonous milkweed Calotropis procera.[1]

Solanum linnaeanum
Purple flowers and ripe yellow fruit stand out against the green foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species:
S. linnaeanum
Binomial name
Solanum linnaeanum
Hepper & P.-M.L.Jaeger
Synonyms

See text

Unripe fruit and thorns

This poisonous plant bearing tomato-like fruit is native to many african countries Kenya,Tanzania,South Africa,[2] Zimbabwe and Mozambique,[3] and is considered to be an invasive species in Australia,[4] New Zealand,[5] Hawaii, Fiji, New Caledonia, other Pacific Islands, the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia, and northern areas of Pakistan.[6]When raw its fruits are green and look exactly like the Thai eggplant and when ripe they are yellow. In Ukambani eastern Kenya children in the villages in summer season use the poisonous yellow fruit as football cautiously,wisdom passed through generations.

Solbec Pharmaceuticals attempted to develop Coramsine,[7] a 1:1 mixture of the alkaloids solamargine and solasonine extracted from Solanum linnaeanum, as a cancer drug. Preliminary clinical trials were initially promising,[8] but the drug was ultimately unsuccessful.

Solanum linnaeanum may be confused with Solanum cinereum (Narrawa burr) in Australia,[3] the neotropical Solanum capsicoides,[3] or Solanum incanum in Africa.

Synonyms

Due to confusion about what species the original Solanum sodomeum of Carl Linnaeus referred to (most recently, it was identified as Solanum ferox), the old description was discarded and the plant redescribed as currently understood. A new taxon honoring Linnaeus was chosen. A number of invalid taxa have thus become attached to the devil's apple:[9]

  • Solanum astrophorum Jan (nomen nudum)
  • Solanum hermannii Dunal
  • Solanum mccannii Santapau
  • Solanum sodomeum L. (disputed)
  • Solanum sodomeum var. hermannii (Dunal) Dunal
  • Solanum sodomeum var. mediterraneum Dunal
  • Solanum undatum Bouton ex Dunal (preoccupied)
Solanum undatum as described by Walsh is Solanum lycocarpum.
Solanum undatum var. violaceum, described by Dunal in de Candolle, is the original Solanum aethiopicum of Linnaeus.

It is not clear whether the plant described by Drège as Solanum sodomeum was of this species. Solanum sodomeum by Russ based on Nees von Esenbeck is another nomen nudum.[9]

References
  1. "Calotropis procera". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. AWC (2004)
  3. Species Fact Sheet, Queensland Government
  4. DAF-WA [2006]
  5. Roy et al. (2005)
  6. Information on Solanum linnaeanum as relevant to Pacific Islands also in Aseer region in Saudi Arabi and northern areas of Pakistan
  7. SP [2006]
  8. Millward et al. (2005)
  9. Solanaceae Source (2008)

Footnotes


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