Solanum brevifolium
Dunal
Solanaceae
Solanum aphestodontum Gilli
Solanum holophyllum Bitter
Solanum pterospermum Bitter
Common Name:
General Information
Solanum brevifolium is a climbing shrub with much-branched, slender, wiry stems that sprawl over the ground or climb into the surrounding vegetation. The stems form new roots at the nodes where they touch the ground.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
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[
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 References
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
Range
S. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela
Habitat
Forests and thickets; at elevations around 2,700 - 3,400 metres[
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Habit | Climber |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Fruit[
1783- Title
- Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
- Publication
-
- Author
- de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
- Publisher
- Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 978-9978-77-135-8
- Description
-
].
The fruit has been used as a rennet substitute[
1783- Title
- Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
- Publication
-
- Author
- de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
- Publisher
- Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 978-9978-77-135-8
- Description
-
].
Medicinal
The fruit is used to treat dandruff[
1783- Title
- Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador
- Publication
-
- Author
- de la Torre, L., Navarrete H., P. Muriel M., Macía M.J. & Ba
- Publisher
- Herbario QCA de la Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas de la Pontific
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 978-9978-77-135-8
- Description
-
].
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.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
