Solanum seaforthianum
| Solanum seaforthianum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. seaforthianum |
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum seaforthianum | |
Solanum seaforthianum, the Brazilian nightshade,[3] is a flowering evergreen vine of the family Solanaceae native to tropical South America and the West Indies. As a member of the Solanum genus, it is related to such plants as the tomato and potato. The plant is highly heat resistant, but cannot tolerate frost conditions. Its other common names include blue potato vine, climbing nightshade, Italian jasmine, potato creeper, St. Vincent lilac, star potato vine and vining solanum.[4][5]
Description
A long-lived scrambling plant,[6] it is characterized by clusters of four to seven leaves and can climb to a height of 6 m (20 ft) given enough room. It is a sprawling perennial shrub or vine, largely glabrous, with glandular hairs present on the peduncles and pedicels; prickles are absent. The alternate leaves are mostly pinnatisect and ovate in outline, measuring 4–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, and are deeply lobed and divided into three to nine erratically shaped segments. Both surfaces are generally green and glabrous, except for hairs along the margins and on the veins of the lower surface; the petiole is 2–4 cm long.[7]
Inflorescence
It is early-flowering.[8] The inflorescences bear 10–50 star-like flowers, with peduncles 10–60 mm long, a rachis up to 100 mm long, and pedicels 10–15 mm long. The calyx is 1.5–2.5 mm long, with lobes approximately 1 mm long. The corolla is deeply divided, measuring 20–30 mm in diameter, and is mauve-blue, purple or violet in colour. It flowers from spring to autumn or spring and autumn,[4][6] with clusters of star-shaped purple inflorescence followed by marble-sized berries, that ripen from green to bright red, containing numerous flattened seeds that range from reddish-brown to black and measure 2–3 mm in length.[9]
This species reproduces primarily by seed, which are most commonly dispersed by birds and other animals that consume its fleshy fruit.[4]
Chemistry
The plant contains modest amounts of various tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine and should be considered mildly toxic and inedible.[10] Promising molluscicidal and schistosomicidal activities were displayed for the S. seaforthianum extracts and fractions which are attributed to the glycoalkaloid content.[11]
All parts of the plant are toxic. Ingestion of the leaves or fruit may cause gastrointestinal irritation, including nausea and diarrhea.[7] Consumption of the fruit has caused adverse effects in children and poultry. Livestock, including cattle, pigs, and sheep, have also been affected by this species.[8]
Range
This species is considered native to Mexico, Central America (including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), the Caribbean (e.g. Trinidad and Tobago), south-eastern United States (Florida), and parts of tropical South America, particularly Venezuela and Colombia.[6]
Originally introduced as an ornamental plant, it is now a garden escape, although it is can still be present in cultivation.[6][12] the species has become widely naturalised outside its native range and is an invasive species in Australia, Africa, Indochina, the Pacific Islands and India, choking native vegetation and poisoning livestock.[13] It has also been listed as a noxious weed in South Africa.[14]
Habitat
It is a widespread weed of neglected, nutrient-rich environments. It occurs in closed forests, forest edges, urban bushland, riparian zones, agricultural land, roadsides, disturbed areas, and waste sites.[4] In Cape York Peninsula and north-eastern Queensland, this species occurs from near sea level to elevations of up to 900 m. It grows around settlements and in disturbed habitats, including wet sclerophyll forest, lowland and upland rainforest, as well as monsoon forest and vine thickets.[8]
References
- ↑ "Solanum seaforthianum Andrews". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Solanum seaforthianum Andrews". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ↑ NRCS. "Solanum seaforthianum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brazilian nightshade". Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ "Solanum seaforthianum Andrews". Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). GBIF Secretariat. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Brazilian nightshade (Solanum seaforthianum) factsheet" (PDF). Sydney Weeds Committees. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Brazilian nightshade (Solanum seaforthianum)". Queensland Poisons Information Centre. Queensland Health. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Solanum seaforthianum Andrews". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CSIRO). Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ Conn, B. J. "Solanum seaforthianum". PlantNET – New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
- ↑ Janaki-Ammal, E.K.; Viswanathan, T.V. (1975). "A new garden plant for India: tetraploid Solanum seaforthianum". Indian Horticulture. Sept 1975: 25.
- ↑ Alsherbiny MA, El Badawy SA, Elbedewy H, Ezzat SM, Elsakhawy FS, Abdel-Kawy MA (19 Feb 2018). "Comparative Molluscicidal and Schistosomicidal Potentiality of Two Solanum Species and Its Isolated Glycoalkaloids". Pharmacognosy Research. 10 (1): 113–117. doi:10.4103/pr.pr_71_17 (inactive 12 July 2025). PMC 5855367. PMID 29568198. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link) - ↑ "Solanum seaforthianum (Solanaceae) Brazilian Nightshade". Save Our Waterways Now (SOWN). Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Factsheet - Solanum seaforthianum (Brazilian Nightshade)". lucidcentral.org.
- ↑ "Solanum seaforthianum (Brazilian Nightshade)". Lucidcentral – Weeds of East Africa. Identic Pty Ltd. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
External links
Media related to Solanum seaforthianum at Wikimedia Commons