Solanum torvum
Solanum torvum
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[1]. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[PFAF].
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 17 - 29°c, but can tolerate 12 - 35°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,200mm[2]. Heavy rainfall discourages fruit set[2]. Succeeds in full sun and in light shade[2]. Grows well in a range of fertile, moist but well-drained soils[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.3 - 6.8[2]. Plants can tolerate some drought[3]. The plant is spread by birds that eat the fruits and spread the seeds. It is considered to be a major weed in pastures, along roadsides and in wasteland in the tropics. It also occurs in plantations, but is not found in significant quantities in cultivated land[3]. Often found in disturbed areas, it can form dense impenetrable stands. Solanum torvum is considered to be a serious threat to the productivity and sustainability of pasture[4]. Besides its economic impacts, it competes with native species[4]. The plant commences flowering when 3 - 4 months old and is said to have an economic life of 3 - 5 years[5, 2]. The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[6]. It can regrow after a fire[3]. There are named forms in Africa and in Thailand[5, 7]. At least one form is free of prickles[8].
Propagation
Seed - sow in a sunny position[5]. The fresh seed shows strong dormancy. Seed is sown in a nursery and seedlings are transplanted after 5 - 6 weeks at a spacing of 1 metre[5]. Branch cuttings taken from high-yielding shrubs are also used for propagation. Semi-hardwood cuttings 12 - 15cm long, collected from fresh shoots and with their leaves removed, will produce roots and new shoots in 3 - 4 weeks[5]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Solanum+torvum>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Poisonous Plants of North Carolina — http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm ↩︎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.
- [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [3]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [4]Global Invasive Species Database — http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/ ↩︎Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
- [5]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [6]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎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.
- [7]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
- [8]Frutipedia - Encyclopedia of Edible Fruits of the World — Parmar Dr. C. · http://fruitipedia.com/index.htm ↩︎An online publication, listing over 400 species of fruits, usually with photos and some information on the plant.
- [9]Flowering Plants of Jamaica — Adams. C.D. · University of the West Indies; Jamaica. · 1972 ↩︎A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
- [10]Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guinea — World Health Organisation · 2009 · ISBN 978-92-9061-249-0 ↩︎Traditional medicinal uses of 126 species from Papua New Guinea, including information on modern research into the plants.
- [11]Flora of Zimbabwe — http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/ ↩︎Over 2,000 species as of 2009 (and growing). Each record usually has at least one photo with a botanical description of the plant, range, habitat etc. A very useful site.
- [12]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
- [13]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [14]Wild edible plants traditionally used by the tribes in the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Keala, India — Yesodharan K. & Sujana K.A. · 2007 ↩︎
- [15]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎