Solanum incanum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 188 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Iran to NW. India. It is a subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit
erect herb to shurb, 0.4-1.5 m, prickly
Morphology Stem
young stems erect, robust, densely stellate-pubescent and prickly, bark of older stems orange-brown to grey
Morphology Leaves
lobed to almost entire, the blades 6-22 cm long, 4-15 cm wide, ca 1.5 times longer than wide, ovate, densely stellate-pubescent on both surfaces, with 0-5 prickles on both surfaces, petiole 1-9 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
inflorescence 3-8 cm long, not branched, with 5-10 flowers, 1-3 flowers open at any one time, densely stellate­ pubescent, peduncle 1-4 mm long; pedicels 0.8-1.5 cm long in long-styled flowers, 0.5-0.9 cm long in short-styled flowers, 0-30 prickles on long-styled flowers, 0-5 prickles on short-styled flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
flower flowers 5-merous, heterostylous, lowermost flower long-styled and hermaphrodite, the distal flowers short­ styled and staminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
corolla 2.4-3 cm in diameter in long-styled flowers, 1.5-2.3 cm in diameter in short-styled flowers, mauve, stellate, lobed for 1/3-1/2 of its length, broad-deltoid, spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
fruit a spherical berry, 1(-2) per infructescence, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter, the pericarp smooth, dark green with pale green and cream markings when young, yellow at maturity; fruiting calyx not accrescent, covering ca 1/6 of the mature fruit, reflexed, with 5-60 prickles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
ca 100-200 per berry, 2.2-2.8 mm long, 1.8-2.3 mm wide, flattened-reniform, dull yellow to orange-brown.
Ecology
thickets, scrubland, and savanna. altitude0 – 1900m
Distribution
predominantly in Ethiopia, Somalia, Arabia, and India, with some populations in n Kenya, Sudan, and extending to Mali.
Conservation
least concerned
Phenology
Flower (january - december), fruit (january - december)
[SCG]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs up to c. 1.5 m high, usually heavily armed with recurved prickles on the stem and straight prickles on the leaves, but rarely almost unarmed, densely white to pale greyish-white tomentose with floccose-stellate hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, of comparable size throughout the plant; petiole 0.7–5.5 cm long; blade somewhat leathery, ovate, 3–18(–23) x 1–10(–18) cm, base cordate or rounded, often unequal, margin entire to sinuate or lobed, apex bluntly acute, usually densely white tomentose to floccose on both sides, but particularly above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences lateral, sometimes ± leaf-opposed, 5–10-flowered, with one bisexual basal flower near the stem and functionally male flowers along densely tomentose up to 5 cm long rachis; peduncle 0–1.5 cm long; pedicels 1–3 cm long, the lowermost the longest, usually densely armed with small prickles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1–1.5 cm long, densely floccose, largest in the often very prickly basal flower, elongating to c. 2 cm in fruit; lobes lanceolate, c. 0.8 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla stellate, pale to dark purple, c. 2.5 cm across; lobes broadly lanceolate to ovate, acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 3–4 mm long, subsessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style in basal flower exceeding the anthers with 1–2 mm, reduced in upper flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a tough or hard yellow berry, c. 2 cm in diam. Seeds pale brown.
Distribution
N1–3; C2; S1–3; widespread in tropical Africa and the Middle East, India.
Ecology
Altitude range 0–1550 m.
[FSOM]

Samuels, J. Kew Bull (2012) 67: 401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-012-9373-5

Morphology General Habit
Densely tomentose, armed perennial shrubs; up to 2 m high; with broadly ovate, sub-entire to repand leaves; up to 15 purple or violet flowers in each simple inflorescence, usually only one flower (more rarely up to 3) hermaphrodite; infructescence of up to 3 fruits, up to 3.5 cm diam.
Distribution
Across north-eastern Africa, extending southwards into Somalia and Kenya, westwards to Senegal, across the Middle East, and as far eastwards as northern Pakistan and northern India.
[KBu]

Solanaceae, Jennifer M Edmonds. Oliganthes, Melongena & Monodolichopus, Maria S. Vorontsova & Sandra Knapp. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2012

Type
Type: ‘Africa’, Herb. J. Burser Vol. 9, no. 20 (UPS, neo., designated by Hepper & Jaeger 1985: 388)
Morphology General Habit
Herb or shrub, 0.4–1.5 m, erect, armed; young stems densely stellate-pubescent, trichomes multangulate, translucent, a mixture of sessile and stalked, stalks up to 1 mm, rays 6–20, 0.1–0.4 mm, midpoints ± same length as rays; prickles straight or curved, 3–9 mm long, 1.5–6 mm wide at base, round or flattened
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blades drying concolorous to weakly discolorous, yellowish, ovate, 6–22 × 4–15 cm, ± 1.5 times longer than wide, base rounded to cordate, often unequal and oblique, margin lobed to almost entire, the broadly rounded lobes (3–)4(–5) on each side, 0.5–2 cm long, apically rounded, extending up to 1/4 of the distance to the midvein; apex rounded to acute; densely stellate-pubescent abaxially, trichomes on abaxial surface porrect, sessile or stalked, stalks to 0.2 mm, rays 8–12, 0.15–0.5 mm, midpoints ± same length as rays or up to 0.6 mm, trichomes of adaxial surface smaller; primary veins ± 5 pairs; petiole 1–9 cm, 1/4–1/3 of the leaf length
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences not branched, 3–8 cm long, with 5–10 flowers; peduncle 1–4 mm long; rachis 0.5–5 cm long; peduncle and rachis unarmed; pedicels 0.8–1.5 cm on long-styled flowers, 0.5–0.9 cm long on short-styled flowers, in fruit 1.3–1.8 cm long, with 0–15 prickles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers heterostylous, 5-merous, basal one long-styled flower
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 6–10 mm on long-styled flowers, 4.5–8 mm long on short-styled flowers, lobes long-deltate and sometimes foliaceous on long-styled flowers, broadly deltate on short-styled flowers, 2.5–5 mm on long-styled flowers, 1.5–3 mm long on short-styled flowers, acute to obtuse, with 15–60 prickles on long-styled flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla mauve, 2.4–3 cm in diameter on longstyled flowers, 1.5–2.3 cm in diameter on short-styled flowers, lobed for 1/3–1/2 of its length, lobes broadly deltate, 7–10 × 7–10 mm on long-styled flowers, 6–9 × 5–7 mm on short-styled flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens equal; anthers 6–7.5 mm on long-styled flowers, 4.2–7 mm on short-styled flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary stellate-pubescent in the upper 1/4; style 10–13 mm long on long-styled flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berries 1(–2) per infructescence, striped when young, yellow at maturity, spherical, 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter; fruiting calyx with 5–30 prickles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2.2–2.8 × 1.8–2.3 mm
Ecology
Thickets, bushland, wooded grassland; 500–800 m
Note
The name “ S. incanum” has been commonly and incorrectly applied to the widespread weedy species S. campylacanthum. Solanum incanum sensu stricto is distinguished by its lobed leaves, yellowish drying colour, adundant long-stalked indumentum, and does not occur any further south than K 1. Herbarium specimens of Solanum incanum bear a striking resemblance to the similarly yellowish and densely tomentose southern African S. lichtensteinii; the two species are not sympatric and geographical location data can greatly simplify the identification process. The ridged stems of S. lichtensteinii differentiate it from S. incanum. The majority of yellow-fruited weeds commonly encountered around East Africa are part of S. campylacanthum. Solanum incanum sensu stricto may be the closest African relative of the cultivated aubergine S. melongena (Weese & Bohs, Taxon 59: 49–56; 2010).
Distribution
Range: Egypt, Arabia, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India Range: Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia Flora districts: K1
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19241279/153935717

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 8, Part 4. Solanaceae. Gonçalves AE. 2005

Morphology General
Erect or spreading herb or shrub up to 3 m high, occasionally a small tree, usually armed but sometimes quite unarmed; hairs stellate, sessile to stalked, ± regular, some occasionally simple, mostly eglandular; prickles pale yellow to brownish, to 10 mm long, laterally ± flattened, recurved or straight, ± stout or slender, subulate from a broad base, hairy at the base to almost concealed by the tomentum
Morphology Stem
Stems one–many from an often deep taproot, woody rootstocks or rhizomatous structures.
Morphology Branches
Branches with white to greyish, yellowish, brown or purplish tomentum, sometimes scurfy, or occasionally floccose, to sparsely hairy, becoming subglabrous with age, generally with scattered prickles
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually solitary; petiole 0.2–8.5 cm long; lamina felty or relatively thin, 1. 5–30.5 × 0.5–17 cm, sub-orbicular or broadly ovate to narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, base sub-cordate, truncate or rounded to tapering into the petiole, and ± unequal-sided, apex obtuse or acute, sometimes acuminate or mucronate, entire to pinnately lobed, the lobes broad, ± triangular, obtuse or rounded, the sinuses rounded between the lobes, usually tomentose, the upper surface with ± equal-rayed or occasionally forked hairs, becoming scabrous or subglabrous, paler and more densely hairy beneath, sometimes mealy, or occasionally velvety, both surfaces often with a few short prickles mostly along the midrib and sometimes also on the nerves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes lateral, often leaf-remote but also leaf-opposed or axillary, simple or forked, sub-umbelliform, racemiform or paniculiform, 2–15(26)-flowered, usually only lowest flower(s) larger and fertile, more rarely all flowers fertile, rarely flowers solitary; peduncle 0–4(5) cm long, often with short, fine prickles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers fragrant, nodding or pendulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 0.2–3 cm long, slender or ± thickened especially upwards in fertile flowers, densely prickly to quite unarmed in male flowers, in fruit elongated to 4 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tomentose to hairy outside with white, ashy, pale yellowish to brown, golden or violet hairs, often ± prickly in fertile flowers or quite unarmed, 3–22 mm long, 4–21 mm across, broadly campanulate or cupular, (4)5–7(9)-lobed; lobes ± unequal, 1–13 × 1–8 mm, ovate or triangular to lanceolate-subulate, obtuse to long-acuminate, spreading, in fruit ± enlarged to 25 mm, sometimes splitting irregularly
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla bluish to pink or purplish to violaceous, occasionally darker, purple or white at the veins, rarely white or almost so, (0.8)1–3 cm long, campanulate to rotate, or broadly stelliform; limb (1)1. 5–4(4.5) cm across; lobes (2.5)5–16 × (2)3–15 mm, ovate or broadly triangular to lanceolate, obtuse to shortly acuminate or apiculate, tomentose to hairy outside on the mid-petaline areas, and similarly along the midveins or glabrous inside, ± spreading or reflexed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens (4)5–7(8); filaments 0.5–2.5 mm long; anthers (4)5–9 mm long, stout, oblong to linear-lanceolate in outline, straight or slightly curved, obtuse, slightly emarginate at both ends, free or in a narrow cone surrounding the style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2.5–4 mm long, ± globose or ovoid, densely hairy on top, occasionally clothed with a rusty tomentum, 2(4)-locular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 7–17 mm long, in male flowers only 2–5 mm long, straight or slightly incurved distally, tomentose or covered with simple hairs except for the apex, sometimes hairy only at the base, very rarely glabrous, exserted or included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dark to pale green, often basally green and distally paler or white, sometimes mottled, veined or striped cream or white to dark green, on ripening yellowish to orangish or brownish, (1)1. 5–5.5 cm in diameter or 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 cm, globose or depressed-globose, occasionally ovoid-ellipsoid, bitter and said to be poisonous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds pale yellow to brownish, numerous, 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 mm, obliquely lenticular or sub-reniform, sub-tuberculate
Ecology
Generally found as a weed of cultivated ground, around old habitations and in overgrazed grassland, but extending into forest, mostly at the edges, riverine vegetation, various types of woodland and savanna-woodland, including miombo, mopane and Acacia woodland, thickets, bushland and littoral scrub, grasslands, floodplains, stream-banks, termitaria; from sea level to 2438 m.
Note
— representing distinct species. From these studies, including chloroplast DNA analyses, they conclude that these groups can be recognized as separate species within the aggregate. Most of the material from the Flora Zambesiaca area falls within group B, with a few specimens from northern Malawi more like Group A, which is predominant further north in E and NE Africa. Group C, S. incanum in a strict sense, does not occur in the Flora Zambesiaca area, but the rather similar group D, S. lichtensteinii, is quite common and also occurs widely in southern Africa. A more hairy element is considered now by Lester (pers. comm.) as a further separate species, S. aureitomentosum Bitter, but it does, however, intergrade with S. lichtensteinii. — group A (possible name: S. campylacanthum Hochst. ex A. Rich.; group B (possible name: S. delagoense Dunal (S. panduriforme in the earlier papers)); group C (possible name: S. incanum L. sensu stricto); and group D (possible name: S. lichtensteinii Willd., among others) Group A (S. campylacanthum Hochst. ex A. Rich.): similar to the more common Group B, but leaves distinctly broader. Common name: “Thorn Apple”. Lester & Hasan, loc. cit. (1990), in Hawkes, Lester, Nee & Estrada, eds., Solanaceae III: 369–387 (1991) and Lester & Daunay in Knüpffer & Ochsmann, (eds.), Rudolf Mansfeld and Plant Generic Resources, Schriften. Genet. Ressourcen 22: 137–152 (2003), consider the distinction between S. melongena and S. incanum. Within S. incanum sens. ampl., they recognize four taxa S. incanum has been treated either as a true species or as a variety of S. melongena L., appearing to comprise several geographically or ecologically localized infraspecific taxa (subspecies or varieties), considered distinct in the form, length-width relation and indumentum of the leaves. Deb, loc. cit. (1989) considers S. melongena (the “eggplant”), originally from Indo-Burma Region (probably first domesticated in India), a cultivated form of the wild S. incanum and often a weed developed in the course of cultivation, suggesting that they are conspecific. The phenotypic variations observed in both taxa, mainly in the pubescence, density of prickles, size, form and location of the leaves, and in the size, form, colour and edibility of the fruits (these ones however larger, mostly pulpy and edible in S. melongena), and the possible hybridization, eliminate their specific distinction.
Distribution
A common and polymorphic species of as yet undefined limits, from unknown origin, widespread throughout the Old World tropics, nowadays widely distributed in equatorial, tropical and subtropical S and N Africa, extending to SW Asia. BOT N, BOT SW, BOT SE, ZAM B, ZAM N, ZAM W, ZAM C, ZAM E, ZAM S, ZIM N, ZIM W, ZIM C, ZIM E, ZIM S, MAL N, MAL C, MAL S, MOZ N, MOZ Z, MOZ T, MOZ MS, MOZ GI, MOZ M, MAL N Zambia Mozambique Malawi Zimbabwe Botswana. Malawi
[FZ]

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    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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