Common Name:

General Information

Solanum sessile is a shrub or a small tree growing from 2 - 8 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a fuel and possibly as a food.

Known Hazards

The plant is toxic to vertebrates: The cooked fruit is used as a hunting poison[].
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

S. America - Bolivia, north Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela

Habitat

Rainforest, sometimes in areas subject to seasonal inundation; at elevations from 100 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. There is also a report that the fruit is toxic to vertebrates[]. The fruit is a globose, green berry around 10 - 15mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The stems are used for fuel[].

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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