Common Name:

General Information

Solanum zanzibarense is a spiny, sparsely-branched, erect to climbing shrub; it can grow up to 4 metres tall[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known 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[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Habitat

Coastal areas in wet or dry forest undergrowth, forest edges, and rocky outcrops, on sand or sandy loam, at elevations from sea level to 700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is found in the wild on sandy and sandy-loam soils[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots are chewed and the sap is used as a mouthwash against toothache[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in trays in a nursery. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on fast. Plant them out when 10cm or more tall.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood. Very easy, the cuttings root within a couple of weeks.

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