| Solanum sisymbriifolium | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. sisymbriifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum sisymbriifolium | |
| Synonyms | |
Many, seetext | |
Solanum sisymbriifolium is commonly known asvila-vila,[1]sticky nightshade,[2]red buffalo-bur,[3] thefire-and-ice plant,litchi tomato, orMorelle de Balbis.[4]
The small edible fruits are red[5] on the outside and yellow inside. It grows inside a spiny, green husk. The fruit is ripe when it is easily removed from the stem. The flavor resembles sour cherries and a little bit like a tomato.[4]
This plant has been used as atrap crop to protect potatoes frompotato cyst nematode.[6] The stems and leaves containsolasodine which makes the plant very resistant to many pests and diseases, with the exception ofpotato beetles andtomato hornworms. It can also be used as a hedge plant to keep animals out of a garden, because it is covered withprickles (erroneously called thorns).[4]
The sticky nightshade has been described under a number ofillegitimate scientific names, many of them quite ambiguoushomonyms:[7]
Severalforms andvarieties have been named,[7] but these are generally not considered distinct today:[citation needed]
In South Africa it is listed as a Category 1b invader in the National Environmental Biodiversity Management Act. This means most activities with regards to the species are prohibited and it should be ensured that it does not spread beyond a landowner's domain.[10]
Data related toSolanum sisymbriifolium at Wikispecies