Solanum aculeastrum

:"Solanum dregei" and "Solanum subhastatum" redirect here. These taxa can also refer to other species; see below for details."Taxobox
name = Soda Apple
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Asteridae
ordo = Solanales
familia = Solanaceae
genus = "Solanum"
species = "S. aculeastrum"
binomial = "Solanum aculeastrum"
binomial_authority = Dunal
synonyms =See text

"Solanum aculeastrum" is commonly known as Soda Apple, Sodaapple Nightshade, Goat Apple, Poison Apple, or more ambiguously as "bitter-apple". It is a poisonous nightshade species from Africa and not related to true apples. The term "soda apple" probably derives from "sodom apple", modified due to the fruit's detergent properties.

Description

It is a shrub or small tree native to tropical Africa south to South Africa, in a wide range of soil, terrain and climatic conditions. It is highly-branched and reaches 1-5 m high, with numerous sharp hooked brown thorns. The leaves are ovate, up to 15 cm long and 13 cm broad, with lobed margins and a downy underside. It flowers (in South Africa) from September to July, peaking from November to March. The petals are white to pale violet surrounding the ovary. These yield to fruit from April to January, peaking in June and November. These smooth, round berries are 6 cm in diameter and fade from green to yellow as they ripen. These berries contain high levels of the poisonous alkaloid solanine. The species name "aculeastrum" refers to the thorns that adorn most parts of the shrub.

Uses

Because of its dense growth and prickly nature, goat-apple is used as a hedge and living barrier for containing livestock. The Soda Apple is often used as a soap replacement, as it is high in saponin. Traditional Zulu practices use the fruit - fresh, boiled, or charred - in herbal medicine to treat a wide variety of afflictions including cancer, toothaches, and ringworm.

ynonyms

The Soda Apple has been described under a range of junior synonyms, now invalid. Several of these are ambiguous homonyms:Solanaceae Source [2008] ]
* "Solanum albifolium" C.H.Wright
* "Solanum conraui" Dammer
* "Solanum dregei" C.Presl:The "S. dregei" described by Dunal in de Candolle is now "S. capense".
* "Solanum horridissimum" Hort. Par. ex Sendtn. ("nomen nudum")
* "Solanum protodasypogon" Bitter
* "Solanum rugulosum" De Wild.
* "Solanum saponaceum" Welw. ("non" Dunal: preoccupied):The "Solanum saponaceum" described by W.J. Hooker is the "S. elaeagnifolium" of Cavanilles.:"Solanum saponaceum" var. "uruguense", described by Grisebach, is now "S. bonariense".
* "Solanum sepiaceum" Dammer
* "Solanum subhastatum" De Wild.:"Solanum subhastatum" as described by L.B. Smith and Downs is now "S. cylindricum".:"Solanum spectabile" var. "subhastatum" as described by Otto Sendtner in von Martius is the "S. affine" of Sendtner.
* "Solanum thomsonii" C.H.Wright

The botanist Bitter distinguished a number of subspecies and varieties of the Soda Apple, but these are not considered valid taxa anymore:
* "Solanum aculeastrum" ssp. "pachychlamys" Bitter
* "Solanum aculeastrum" ssp. "sepiaceum" (Dammer) Bitter
* "Solanum aculeastrum" var. "albifolium" (C.H.Wright) Bitter
* "Solanum aculeastrum" var. "conraui" (Dammer) Bitter
* "Solanum aculeastrum" var. "exarmatum" Bitter
* "Solanum aculeastrum" var. "parceaculeastrum" Bitter

Footnotes

References

* [2008] : [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/solanaceaesource/taxonomy/description-detail.jsp?taxa=765 "Solanum aculeastrum"] . Retrieved 2008-SEP-25.

Further reading

* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/solanacul.htm Plantzafrica information]
*Wanyonyi A.W.; Tarus P.K.; Chhabra S.C. 2003. A novel glycosidic steroidal alkaloid from Solanum aculeastrum. "Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia" 17 (1): 61-66(6). [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cse/bcse/2003/00000017/00000001/art00008 Abstract] .
*Wanyonyi AW, Chhabra SC, Mkoji G, Njue W, Tarus PK. 2003. Molluscicidal and antimicrobial activity of Solanum aculeastrum. "Fitoterapia" 74 (3): 298-301. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12727499&dopt=Abstract Abstract]
* [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/solanaceaesource/taxonomy/description-detail.jsp?spnumber=765 "Solanum aculeastrum" Dunal on Solanaceae Source] - Specimens and a full list of scientific synonyms previously used to refer to "Solanum aculeastrum" Dunal. Full descriptions, images and identification keys coming soon!