Solanum spirale

Roxb.

SolanaceaeFruitLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Fruit, Vegetable

The ripe fruit are eaten raw, used in soups, dried for use as a spice, or made into chutney. Young leaves are cooked and eaten; leaves are sold in local markets.

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.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows on the edges of forests and by roads and tracks. In Yunnan in China it grows between 500-1900 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Asia, Australia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A small shrub. It grows 4 m tall. The stem is erect and has sharp ridges. The plant is green. The leaves have very small leaves near there base. The flowers are white. They are in dense spiral groups. The fruit are round and yellow when ripe.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from seeds.

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.

Medicinal Uses

The roots are anaesthetic, diuretic and narcotic. The bark is broken and soaked in cold water, then used as a febrifuge for adults and infants.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Solanum spirale is a small fruiting shrub in the family Solanaceae, present in mid-elevation (500 to 1,900 m) paleotropical areas, in Southern China, India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia (Queensland). It is widely cultivated in dooryard gardens in India, Thailand, and Laos and used for: food (cooked young leaves, raw or cooked berries) medicine (roots used as a narcotic and diuretic in Assam; bark macerate used as a febrifuge in Laos).

Other Information

Leaves are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 1400 Solanum species.

Names & Synonyms

Banga, Bangko, Chatu bili, Gai ge lei lu, Hai xi ba ha, Jihaweiniu, Jok-ho, Kaithuh, Kanarengma, Khunthai goukha, Ku liao liao ye, Loratita, Mak did, Mungas kajur, Mungaskajur, Nkabua, Oko oing, Oko-ing, Pali, Pa lie, Shengkao, Soh-jaring, Soh-jhari, Titakuchi, Tutakuchi, Yavsailpavqhaq, Yiaseibuka

References (22)

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