Common Name:

General Information

Solanum pseudoquina is a semideciduous shrub or small tree with an open, more or less globose crown; it can grow 2 - 10 metres tall. The more or less straight and almost cylindrical bole can be 20 - 30cm in diameter[, ].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, it also has an edible fruit and the wood is used. It makes an excellent pioneer species for restoring native woodland and also establishing woodland gardens.

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 - Argentina, Paraguay, southern and eastern Brazil.

Habitat

Semideciduous forests, usually in the more open and secondary growth areas; pastures; roadsides; favouring fertile, well-drained soils often rich in clay[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a moist, fertile, well-drained soil that can be on the heavy side[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The plant self-sows freely and can invade pasture land and roadsides[].
A fast growing plant, able to reach a height of 3 metres or more within 2 years from seed[].
The flowers are very aromatic[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A sweetish and succulent pulp[]. The yellowish-brown, globose fruit is around 15mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The bark is astringent, contains a bitter principal and is used as a febrifuge[, , , ]. Considered to be an effective treatment of intermittent diseases such as malaria, and widely used within its native range[].

Solanum-type alkaloids have been isolated from the plant, one of them with convulsive action[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing tree that readily invades open land, it is an excellent species for use in reforestation projects to restore native woodland, and can also be used when establishing a woodland garden[, ]. It should only be used within its native range, however, because of its ability to invade open areas[].

Other Uses

The wood is medium-textured, cross-grained, moderately heavy, with poor mechanical properties and very subject to rot. It is only used for low value items such as boxes, pencils, toothpicks etc[].
The wood is used for fuel, though it is of low quality[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A high germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 4 - 8 days[].

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