Solanum linnaeanum

Solanum linnaeanum
Solanum linnaeanum
Purple flowers and ripe yellow fruit stand out against the green foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. linnaeanum
Binomial name
Solanum linnaeanum
Hepper & P.-M.L.Jaeger
Synonyms

See text
"Devil's apple" and variants redirect here. This name is also used for the unrelated Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).
Unripe fruit and thorns

Solanum linnaeanum is a nightshade species known as Devil's Apple and in some places where it is introduced as "Apple of Sodom". The latter name is also for other nightshades and entirely different plants elsewhere.

This poisonous plant bearing tomato-like fruit is native to South Africa[1] and considered to be an invasive species in Australia,[2] New Zealand,[3] Hawaii, Fiji, New Caledonia, and other Pacific Islands.[4]

Solbec Pharmaceuticals has developed Coramsine,[5] a 1:1 mixture of the alkaloids solamargine and solasonine extracted from Solanum linnaeanum. A protocol for Phase II trials against advanced solid tumors was presented in 2005.[6]

Synonyms

Due to confusion about what species the original Solanum sodomeum of Carl Linnaeus referred to, the old description was discarded and the plant redescribed as currently understood. A new taxon honoring Linnaeus was chosen. A number of invalid taxa have thus become attached to the Devil's Apple:[7]

  • Solanum astrophorum Jan (nomen nudum)
  • Solanum hermannii Dunal
  • Solanum mccannii Santapau
  • Solanum sodomeum L.
  • Solanum sodomeum var. hermannii (Dunal) Dunal
  • Solanum sodomeum var. mediterraneum Dunal
  • Solanum undatum Bouton ex Dunal (preoccupied)
Solanum undatum as described by Walsh is Solanum lycocarpum.
Solanum undatum var. violaceum, described by Dunal in de Candolle, is the original Solanum aethiopicum of Linnaeus.

It is not clear whether the plant described by Drège as Solanum sodomeum was of this species. Solanum sodomeum by Russ based on Nees von Esenbeck is another nomen nudum.[7]

Footnotes

  1. ^ AWC (2004)
  2. ^ DAF-WA [2006]
  3. ^ Roy et al. (2005)
  4. ^ Information on Solanum linnaeanum as relevant to Pacific Islands
  5. ^ SP [2006]
  6. ^ Millward et al. (2005)
  7. ^ a b Solanaceae Source (2008)

References

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