Solanum dasyphyllum

Schumach. & Thonn.

SolanaceaeFruitLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves

The leaves are boiled and eaten, though they are only occasionally consumed. The fruit is also edible.

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 is grown throughout tropical Africa. It grows in seasonally flooded forests.

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, West Africa,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A herb or semi-woody shrub in the nightshade family that grows up to 1.5 m high and may have prickles. It is found throughout tropical Africa, particularly in seasonally flooded forests.

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.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used to counter poisoning by Strophanthus spp.. The fruit is sometimes used to treat tooth ailments. The mouth is washed with a decoction of the fruit for 3 - 4 days at daybreak and dusk.

Other Information

The leaves are only occasionally eaten.

Notes

There are about 1400 Solanum species.

Names & Synonyms

Achikolpo, Garenti, Nakati nume y'akyalo, Turkit

Solanum duplosinuatum Klotzsch

References (13)

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 41
Beskr. Guin. pl. 126. 1827
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5. Kew.
Busson, 1965,
Dalziel, 1937 (As Solanum duplosinuatum)
Dansi, A., et al, 2008, Traditional leafy vegetables and their use in the Benin Republic. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:1239–1256
Dansi, A., et al, 2009, Traditional leafy vegetables in Benin: folk nomenclature, species under threat and domestication. Acta Bot. Gallica 156(2), 183-199
Goode, P., 1989, Edible Plants of Uganda. FAO p 26
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 102
Kidane, B., et al, 2014, Wild and semi-wild leafy vegetables used by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia. Genetic Resour Crop Evol. Springer. p 8
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 186
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Yimer, A., et al, 2021, Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants used by Meinit Ethnic Community at Bench-Maji Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Research Square. p 6