Solanum aculeastrum
Encyclopedia
- "Solanum dregei" and "Solanum subhastatum" redirect here. These taxa can also refer to other speciesSpeciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
; see below for details.
Solanum aculeastrum is commonly known as Soda Apple, Sodaapple Nightshade, Goat Apple, Poison Apple, or more ambiguously as "bitter-apple". It is a poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous nightshade species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and not related to true apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s. The term "soda apple" probably derives from "sodom apple
Apple of Sodom (disambiguation)
Apple of Sodom, Calotropis procera is a plant native to the Dead Sea and Sodom, Israel and other desert regions.Apple of Sodom may also refer to:Plants:* Solanum carolinense , native to North America...
", modified due to the fruit's detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
properties.
Description
It is a shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
native to tropical Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
south to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, 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
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are ovate, up to 15 cm long and 13 cm broad, with lobed margins and a downy underside. It flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s (in South Africa) from September to July, peaking from November to March. The petals are white to pale violet surrounding the ovary, the flower also has a bitter, sour smell. These yield to fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
from April to January, peaking in June and November. These smooth, round berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
are 6 cm in diameter and fade from green to yellow as they ripen. These berries contain high levels of the poisonous alkaloid solanine
Solanine
Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade family , such as the potato . It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including the leaves, fruit, and tubers. Solanine has fungicidal and pesticidal properties, and it is one of the plant's natural defenses...
. 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 livestockLivestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. The Soda Apple is often used as a soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
replacement, as it is high in saponin
Saponin
Saponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...
. Traditional Zulu practices use the fruit - fresh, boiled, or charred - in herbal medicine
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
to treat a wide variety of afflictions including cancer, toothaches, and ringworm.
Synonyms
The Soda Apple has been described under a range of junior synonyms, now invalid. Several of these are ambiguous homonymHomonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
s:
- Solanum albifolium C.H.Wright
- Solanum conraui Dammer
- Solanum dregei C.Presl
- The S. dregei described by Dunal in de CandolleA. P. de CandolleAugustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelled Augustin Pyrame de Candolle was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at an herbarium...
is now S. capense.- Solanum horridissimum Hort. Par. ex Sendtn. (nomen nudumNomen nudumThe phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
) - Solanum protodasypogon Bitter
- Solanum rugulosum De Wild.
- Solanum saponaceum Welw. (non Dunal: preoccupied)
- Solanum horridissimum Hort. Par. ex Sendtn. (nomen nudum
- The Solanum saponaceum described by W.J. HookerWilliam Jackson HookerSir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
is the S. elaeagnifoliumSolanum elaeagnifoliumSilver-leaved Nightshade or Silverleaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium, is a common weed of western North America and also found in South America. Other common names include Prairie Berry, Silverleaf Nettle, White Horsenettle or Silver Nightshade...
of CavanillesAntonio José CavanillesAntonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
. - Solanum saponaceum var. uruguense, described by GrisebachAugust GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
, is now S. bonariense.- Solanum sepiaceum Dammer
- Solanum subhastatum De Wild.
- Solanum subhastatum as described by L.B. SmithLyman Bradford SmithLyman Bradford Smith was an American botanist. His formal botanical author abbreviation is L.B.Sm....
and Downs is now S. cylindricum. - Solanum spectabile var. subhastatum as described by Otto SendtnerOtto SendtnerOtto Sendtner was a German botanist and phytogeographer born in Munich.He received his education at the University of Munich, where he was a student of Karl Friedrich Schimper...
in von MartiusCarl Friedrich Philipp von MartiusCarl Friedrich Philipp von Martius was a German botanist and explorer.Martius was born at Erlangen, where he graduated M.D. in 1814, publishing as his thesis a critical catalogue of plants in the botanic garden of the university...
is the S. affine of Sendtner.- Solanum thomsonii C.H.Wright
The botanist Bitter distinguished a number of subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
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
Further reading
- Plantzafrica information
- 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!