Solanaceae FAMILY

Schwenckia americana

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

The whole plant is pounded to pulp for use as an effective fish poison[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. 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

Schwenckia americana is an erect, or ascending and spreading, annual or short-living perennial herb with grooved stems up to 90cm tall[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama - Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba to Windward Isles.

HabitatA weed in fields, woodland and disturbed localities, at elevations up to 1,100 metres[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Dry rocky open hillsides or open thickets, sometimes in brushy pine forests, at elevations up to 1,500 metres in Guatemala[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].