- Solanum retroflexum
:"Sunberry", "Wonderberry" and variant spellings redirect here. These names are also used for a related plant that may be highly poisonous; see below for details."Taxobox
image_width =
image_caption =
regnum =Plant ae
divisio =Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
subclassis =Asteridae
ordo =Solanales
familia =Solanaceae
genus = "Solanum "
species = "S. retroflexum"
binomial = "Solanum retroflexum"
binomial_authority = Dunal
synonyms = "Solanum × burbankii" Bitter
[USDA (2002, 2006)]"Solanum retroflexum", commonly known as Wonderberry or Sunberry, is a historic heirloom fruiting shrub. Both common names are also used for the usually
poison ousEuropean Black Nightshade ("S. nigrum") in some places, perticularly where the latter species has been introduced, so care must be taken to distinguish them. It is sometimes called Garden Huckleberry, but that properly refers to the "S. scabrum" described byPhilip Miller .As its old scientific name that is still often seen, "Solanum × burbankii", indicates, it is of hybrid origin. The plant was bred by
Luther Burbank in the early 1900s and is a hybrid of "S. villosum" and "S. guineense".Plants are compact, typically growing to a height of 12"-24", and may fruit at sizes as small as 4". The plant produces diminutive, dark blue-purple fruits that are bland in flavor and often combined with sugar in desserts. Green (unripe) fruits are poisonous.
The Wonderberry shrub is an extremely easy to grow plant which is grown similarly to
tomato es. Seeds are sown in the summer in full or part sun. Fruit can be expected in 75 days.Footnotes
References
* (2002):
Germplasm Resources Information Network – [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?102153 "Solanum × burbankii" Bitter] . Version of 2002-JAN-08. Retrieved 2008-SEP-29.
* (2006):Germplasm Resources Information Network – [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?404900 "Solanum retroflexum" Dunal] . Version of 2006-JAN-21. Retrieved 2008-SEP-29.External links
* [http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/wonderberry.htm www.tradewindsfruit.com]
* [http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Garden-Berries/Wonderberry rareseeds.com]
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