Solanum seaforthianum Andr.

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Solanum seaforthianum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park NR

Solanum seaforthianum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Marydale Point Lake Chivero Recreational Park

Solanum seaforthianum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Carolina Wilderness

Solanum seaforthianum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Shaneragh rd, Mandara, Harare

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names: Brazilian nightshade (English) Climbing nightshade (English) Potato creeper (English) St Vincent lilac (English)
Frequency:
Status: Introduced
Description:
Unarmed creeper or climber, to 7 m or more. Leaves: petiole 1-2.5 cm; lamina c.7 × 5 cm, elliptic to obovate in outline, variously dissected, but mainly pinnatifid to partly pinnate. Leaflets or lobes variable in size, the terminal the largest, ± elliptic, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; base cuneate; apex acuminate; margin entire. Flowers in a terminal branched cyme. Pedicels 1-1.5 cm, thickened below the flower. Calyx very shallowly lobed. Petals 8-12 mm, blue, mauve or purple; anthers yellow. Flowers 10-15 mm in diameter. Fruits 6-9 mm in diameter, spherical, red.
Notes: The record for Maputo province appears to be from a garden and is probably therefore cultivated.
Derivation of specific name: seaforthianum: named after Lord Seaforth who sent a specimen to England from the West Indies.
Habitat: Widely naturalised and found climbing amongst shrubs and trees in woodland, often on anthills.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Native of Central and South America and the Caribbean area; widely naturalised in the tropics.
Mozambique distribution: MS
Growth form(s): Climber.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Monday 21 April 2014
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 864. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 33.

Gonçalves, A.E. (2005). Solanaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(4) Pages 79 - 81. (Includes a picture).

Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 330. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 80.

Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 108. (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 106.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 178.

Other sources of information about Solanum seaforthianum:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Solanum seaforthianum
Flora of Malawi: Solanum seaforthianum
Flora of Zambia: Solanum seaforthianum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Solanum seaforthianum
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Solanum seaforthianum

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Solanum seaforthianum
African Plant Database: Solanum seaforthianum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Solanum seaforthianum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Solanum seaforthianum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Solanum seaforthianum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Solanum seaforthianum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Solanum seaforthianum
JSTOR Plant Science: Solanum seaforthianum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Solanum seaforthianum
Plants of the World Online: Solanum seaforthianum
Tropicos: Solanum seaforthianum
Wikipedia: Solanum seaforthianum


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Solanum seaforthianum.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=150730, retrieved 19 March 2024

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