Common Name:

General Information

Solanum pectinatum is an erect, divergently-branched, coarsely prickly shrub growing 1 - 2 metres tall[].
The edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local consumption. The plant is sometimes cultivated in gardens for this fruit[]. Many attributes make this plant a promising species for agriculture. The fruits are large and glabrous at maturity and have a delightful sweet-tart flavour. The species could be widely cultivated at low and middle elevations in the tropics. The species should be studied for its agricultural potential by tropical plant breeders[].

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

S. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico.

Habitat

Stream banks, secondary thickets, and forest openings in rain forest and premontane forest, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The pale orange flesh has a delightful sweet-acid flavour[, ]. The pulp is acid, but the sugar content is relatively high and the flavour somewhat aromatic[]. The juicy fruit is best cooked with some sugar[]. The skin of the fruit has a fuzzy surface that should be brushed off, or perhaps thinly peeled[]. The ellipsoid or subglobose, orange fruit is 35 - 50mm long, somewhat smaller in diameter,[].

Medicinal

The plant is used to treat stings[].
The fruit prevents the vomiting that is caused by scorpion stings, also effective for other types of bites[].

Other Uses

The pulp of the fruit is rubbed into the hair in order to give it a good appearance and prevent hair loss[].

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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