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Solanaceae FAMILY

Solanum dulcamara

Solanum dulcamara

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant, including the fruit, are poisonous[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. , 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 10 Title Poisonous Plants and Animals. Publication Author Altmann. H. Publisher Chatto and Windus Year 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8 Description A small book, reasonable but not very detailed. , 13 Title Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Publication Author Triska. Dr. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3 Description Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore. , 19 Title Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Stary. F. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3 Description Not very comprehensive, but easy reading. ], though only mildly so[ 21 Title The Herb Book. Publication Author Lust. J. Publisher Bantam books Year 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2 Description Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book. , 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ]. Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].

Botanical Description

Solanum dulcamara is an unarmed, herbaceous perennial climbing plant with stems up to 250cm long[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and pesticide and also for use in cosmetics.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate
Native RangeTemperate Eurasia, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific, northern Indo-China and the Himalayas; N. Africa - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
HabitatHedgerows and woody areas, avoiding acid soils[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. Also found on moist banks by the edges of swamps[ 232 Title The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Publication Author Castro. M. Publisher Macmillan. London. Year 1990 ISBN 0-333-55581-3 Description A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable. ].