Solanum torvum is a
bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant used
horticultural as a rootstock for eggplant. Grafted plants are very vigorous and tolerate diseases affecting the
root system, thus allowing the crop to continue for a second year.
Turkey berry apparently is
native from Florida and southern Alabama through the West Indies and from
Mexico through Central America and South America through Brazil .
The plant is usually 2 or
3 m in height and 2 cm in basal diameter, but may reach 5m in height and
8 cm in basal diameter. The shrub usually has a single stem at ground
level, but it may branch on the lower stem. The stem bark is gray and nearly
smooth with raised lenticels. The inner bark has a green layer over an ivory
color (Little and others 1974). The plants examined by the author, growing on
firm soil, had weak taproots and well-developed laterals. The roots are white.
Foliage is confined to the growing twigs. The leaves are opposite or one per
node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. The petioles are 1
to 6 cm long and the blades are 7 to 23 by 5 to 18 cm and covered
with short hairs.
The green fresh fruits are
edible and used in Thai
Cuisone, as an ingredient in certain Thai curries or raw in certain Thai chili pastes (nam
phrik).
Known Hazards
Although providing many well-known foods for people,
including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family
Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries
with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this
plant
Edible uses:
The plant is often used in traditional medicine and, when
used wisely, its fruit and leaves can be used to control a range of microbial
activities
The juice of the plant is used to treat fevers, coughs,
asthma, chest ailments, sore throats, rheumatism, dropsy, stomach aches and
gonorrhoea
An infusion of the leaves and fruits is used as a treatment
for bush yaws and sores
Done by Aaditya Kumar
Done by Aaditya Kumar
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