Solanum lycocarpum
Solanum lycocarpum
Safety & Hazards
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 lycocarpum is a deciduous, prickly shrub or small tree with a roundish, sparse crown. Normally growing as a shrub less than 2 metres tall, it can become more tree-like, up to 5 metres tall with a crooked, cylindrical bole 15 - 30cm in diameter[ 420 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2002 ISBN 85-86714-15-1 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. It is suitable for use as a pioneer species to re-establish woodland, and used to be cultivated by indigenous people as a fruit crop[ 420 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2002 ISBN 85-86714-15-1 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ].