Solanum linnaeanum

Unripe fruit and thorns Solanum linnaeanum is a nightshade species known as devil's apple and, in some places where it is introduced, apple of Sodom. The latter name is also used for other nightshades and entirely different plants elsewhere, in particular the poisonous milkweed Calotropis procera. This poisonous plant bearing tomato-like fruit is native to many African countries Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa,AWC (2004) Zimbabwe and Mozambique,Species Fact Sheet, Queensland Government and is considered to be an invasive species in Australia,DAF-WA [2006] New Zealand,Roy et al. (2005) Hawaii, Fiji, New Caledonia, other Pacific Islands, the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia, and northern areas of Pakistan.Information on Solanum linnaeanum as relevant to Pacific Islands also in Aseer region in Saudi Arabi and northern areas of Pakistan When raw its fruits are green and look exactly like the Thai eggplant and when ripe they are yellow. In Ukambani eastern Kenya children in the villages in summer season use the poisonous yellow fruit as football, cautiously. Solbec Pharmaceuticals attempted to develop Coramsine,SP [2006] a 1:1 mixture of the alkaloids solamargine and solasonine extracted from Solanum linnaeanum, as a cancer drug. Preliminary clinical trials were initially promising,Millward et al. (2005) but the drug was ultimately unsuccessful. Solanum linnaeanum may be confused with Solanum cinereum (Narrawa burr) in Australia, the neotropical Solanum capsicoides, or Solanum incanum in Africa.

No narrative description available for this taxon yet.