Solanum anomalum

Description

A shrub. It may or may not have thorns. It grows 2-5 m high. The young branches and leaves have a hairy covering. The fruit are round and about 2 cm across. They are yellow-brown.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten in soups and sauces as a condiment, or dried, preserved, or fermented. Leaves are occasionally eaten.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten in soups and sauces as a condiment. They can also be dried, preserved or fermented. The leaves are not often eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The sap from the leaves and fruits is drunk, or taken by enema 1 - 2 times daily, as a treatment for leprosy and gonorrhoea. The fruits are used as a laxative and digestive. They are also served ground up in soups and sauces as an appetizer for sick persons, sometimes mixed with fruits of Parkia. The crushed fruits are applied to maturate inflammations on fingers or toes. The fruit juice is applied to sores on the ears to alleviate pain.

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in lowland forests in West Africa. It is often in drier parts of the forest zone. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa,

Propagation

Seed - sow in trays in a nursery. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on fast. Plant them out when 10cm or more tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood. Very easy, the cuttings root within a couple of weeks.

Other Information

It is cultivated as a food plant. It is a minor vegetable.

Notes

There are about 1400 Solanum species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Nsusoa, Nsusua twi

References (15)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 41
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5. Kew.
• Busson, 1965,
• Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 236

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