Common Name:

General Information

Solanum virginianum is an erect or creeping herbaceous perennial plant that sometimes becomes woody at the base; it can grow 50 - 70cm tall[]. The plant is copiously armed with sturdy, needle-like prickles 5 - 20mm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.. The fruits are harvested for commercial extraction of solasodine, which is used in the synthesis of hormones.

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

E. Asia - Afghanistan, Indian subcontinent, southern China, southern Japan, through tropical Asia to the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Sandy river beaches at elevations from 100 - 1,300 metres in southern China[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. A slightly bitter flavour[]. They can be cooked in curries[]. They are often eaten whilst still green and immature, before the seeds become tough[].

Leaves - cooked and used as a potherb[].

Medicinal

The seeds are expectorant[]. They are used in the treatment of asthma and catarrh[].

Solasodine can be extracted from the fruits, it is a source of raw material for hormone synthesis[].

Other Uses

An extract of the whole plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[]
An extract of the roots is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a masking agent[1243

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
Division

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