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Solanum giganteum
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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Mafinga Mountains, Mafinga District, Muchinga Province
Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Mafinga Mountains, Mafinga District, Muchinga Province
Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Mafinga Mountains, Mafinga District, Muchinga Province
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| Synonyms: |
Solanum niveum Vahl |
| Common names: | Red bitter apple (English) Red bitter berry (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Shrub or small tree mostly less than 5 m tall, most parts densely covered in fine stellate rays. Stems with numerous laterally flattened prickles, 1-5 mm long. Branches white-tomentose, with scattered prickles. Leaves elliptic to ovate, lanceolate or obovate, 5-30 cm long, becoming shiny and dark green above when mature while remaining white-stellate-tomentose beneath; petiole 1-8 cm long; 1-2 leaf-like pseudostipules 1-3.5 cm long sometimes present. Inflorescences in branched corymbose heads, dense, many-flowered. Flowers nodding. Corolla pale blue to lilac or violet-purple, rarely white, each lobe with a greenish midvein. Fruit numerous, shiny red when ripe. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | giganteum: huge, gigantic |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Origin uncertain, but believed to be native to the Cape; widespread in tropical and southern Africa, also the Canary Isles, tropical Asia, Australia and South America. |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 869. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 52. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 272. Gonçalves, A.E. (2005). Solanaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(4) Pages 88 - 90. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 80. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 178. Welman, W.G. (2008). The genus Solanum (Solanaceae) in southern Africa: subgenus Leptostemonum, section Giganteiformia Bothalia 38(1) Pages 40 - 42. |
Other sources of information about Solanum giganteum:
Our websites:
Flora of Malawi: Solanum giganteumFlora of Mozambique: Solanum giganteum
Flora of Zambia: Solanum giganteum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Solanum giganteum
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Solanum giganteumAfrican Plant Database: Solanum giganteum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Solanum giganteum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Solanum giganteum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Solanum giganteum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Solanum giganteum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Solanum giganteum
JSTOR Plant Science: Solanum giganteum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Solanum giganteum
Plants of the World Online: Solanum giganteum
Tropicos: Solanum giganteum
Wikipedia: Solanum giganteum
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