Solanum undatum

Lam.

SolanaceaeFruitPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The unripe fruit is cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The fruit of this species is rounded, smooth, about 2.5 centimeters in diameter, and green mottled with white, or yellow.

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

It is a tropical plant. In southern China it grows between 200-1,100 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Afghanistan, Asia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, 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 may or may not have thorns. It can grow 1 m high. It is hairy. The leaves are in pairs and unequal. They are oval and 5-12 cm long by 4-7 cm wide There are a few flowers in a group near the axils of leaves. They are purple-blue or white.

How to Grow

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

Medicinal Uses

The leaves used in poultices are said to be mitigating and resolvent. The seeds are employed as a sedative, and are sometimes used to cure toothache.

Other Uses

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin protector.

Other Information

Leaves are sold in local markets.

Names & Synonyms

Ge lan, Ke kua, Ni ga zi

References (2)

Cao, Y., et al, 2020, Ethnobotanical study on wild edible plants used by three trans-boundary ethnic groups in Jiangcheng County, Pu’er, Southwest China. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2020) 16:66
Ochse, J. J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 695 (As Solanum undatum Poir.)