Turkey berry (Solanum torvum)

Turkey berry (Solanum torvum) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae, shrub or small tree, single stem at ground level but may branch on rootstock, erect, bushy, thorny, 2-5 meters high, 2-8 cm in diameter.

S. torvum has a taproot, lateral and white. the bark is gray and almost smooth with lenticels. The inner bark has a green layer over the ivory color. Twigs are gray or green and covered with star-shaped hairs. The spines are straight or curved all over the plant.







The leaves sit opposite or one per node, broadly ovoid in shape with flat or lobed edges, rough surface, green in color, a main vein in the middle with several small lateral veins. The petiole is 1-6 cm long and covered with short hairs.

Flowers have long stalks, white, tubular with 5 pointed lobes and form a star. The center is yellow with a white core. The berries grow in clusters, are spherical, 1 cm in diameter and yellow when ripe. Seeds are flat and brown.

This species grows with rainfall 1000-4000 mm/year. In the riparian zone in drier areas. They grow in all types of moist, fertile soils from near sea level to 2000 meters.

It grows best in full sun or part-day shade, but does not survive under a closed forest canopy. Single and group crops in shrubs by roadsides, vacant lots, pastures, farmland, landslides and riverbanks.

This plant contains a number of potentially pharmacologically active chemicals including the steroid chlorogenin sapogenin. The water extract kills rats by suppressing the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets in the blood.

Plant extracts are reported to be useful in the treatment of hyperactivity, colds and coughs, acne, skin diseases and leprosy. Methyl caffeate, extracted from fruit, showed antidiabetic effect in streptozotocin-induced rats. Cholinergic poisoning has been reported as a result of consumption of the fruit.

The fruit is edible, both young and old. The Mandailing or Tapanuli people use this plant as a vegetable mixture. The young fruit is part of the popular vegetable curry.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Solaneae
Genus: Solanum L. in Sp. Pl.: 184 (1753)
Subgenus: Leptostemonum
Species: Solanum torvum Sw. in Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occid.: 47 (1788)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Myristica fatua var. compactum C.H.Wright in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(2): 231 (1906)
Solanum acanthifolium Dunal in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 260 (1852)
Solanum amoenum Jungh. in Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 7: 309 (1840)
Solanum campechiense Dunal (1852)
Solanum crotonoides Michx. ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum daturifolium Dunal (1852)
Solanum daturifolium var. albescens Dunal (1852)
Solanum ficifolium Ortega in Nov. Pl. Descr. Dec.: 116 (1800)
Solanum heterophyllum Balb. ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum largiflorum C.T.White in Queensland Agric. J., n.s., 8: 170 (1917)
Solanum macaonense Dunal (1852)
Solanum maccai Bertero ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum mammosum Herb. ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum mannii C.H.Wright in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1894: 129 (1894)
Solanum mayanum Lundell in Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 8: 85 (1942)
Solanum obtusifolium Hartw. ex Sendtn. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 10: 95 (1846)
Solanum sanctum Jan ex Dunal (1852)
Solanum silarium Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 2627 (1831)
Solanum stramoniifolium Lam. in Tabl. Encycl. 2: 22 (1794)
Solanum torvum f. apaense Hassl. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 15: 230 (1918)
Solanum torvum var. daturifolium O.E.Schulz in Symb. Antill. 6: 236 (1909)
Solanum torvum f. gardneri Hassl. (1918)
Solanum torvum f. grandifolium O.E.Schulz ex O.C.Schmidt in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 32: 93 (1933)
Solanum torvum var. inerme Nees in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 54 (1834)
Solanum torvum var. integerrimum Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 455 (1891)
Solanum torvum var. lanatum Sendtn. (1846)
Solanum torvum var. rubiginosum Sendtn. (1846)
Solanum torvum var. sinuatolobatum Kuntze (1891)
Solanum wightii Miq. ex C.B.Clarke in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 4: 234 (1883)

PUBLICATIONS

Aubriot, X. & Knapp, S. (2022). A revision of the "spiny solanums" of Tropical Asia (Solanum, the Leptostemonum Clade, Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 198: 1-270.

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Bikandu, B., Lukoki, F. & Habari, J.P. (2020). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire-rwanda-Burundi) Solanaceae: 1-162. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.

Chou, S., Chhnang, P. & Kim, Y. (2016). A Checklist for the Seed Plants of Cambodia: 1-272. National Institute of Biological Resources, Korea.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2023). Flora of North America North of Mexico 14: 1-505. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Hợp, V.V. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 17: 1-324. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.

Iwatsuki, K., Yamazaki, T., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (eds.) (1993). Flora of Japan IIIa: 1-482. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.

Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lê, T.C. (2005). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 3: 1-1248. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Mao, A.A., Sinha, B.K., Verma, D. & Sarma, N. (2016). Check-List of Flora of Meghalaya: 1-273. Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, Shillong.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

PBI Solanum Project (2014-continuously updated). Solanaceae Source: a global taxonomic resource for the nightshade family http://www.solanaceaesource.org.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

Prakash, L. & Balasubramanian, P. (2018). Invasive alien flora of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Southern Eastern Ghats, India. Indian Forester 144: 857-862.

Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2022). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 4: 1-522. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sarder, N.U. & Hassan, M.A. (eds.) (2018). Vascular flora of Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts 3: 1-978. Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka.

Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (eds.) (2020). Flore du Gabon 55: 1-137. Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris; Margraf Publishers, Weikersheim; Meise Botanic Garden.

Turner, I.M. (1995 publ. 1997). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(2): 347-655.

Whistler, W.A. (2022). Flora of Samoa Flowering Plants: 1-930. National Tropical Botanicl Garden. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

VERNACULAR NAME

Assamese: Bhi-tita
Austria: Pokastrauch
Batak Toba: rimbang
Bengali: তিতা বেগুন Tita bagoon
Chinese (simplified): 水茄 - 苦籽果
Chinese (traditional): 水茄 - 萬桃花 - 山茄
Danish: ærtenatskygge
English: Turkey Berry, Pea Eggplant, Devil's Fig, Wild Tomato, Turkeyberry, Wild Eggplant, Devil's-Fig, Pea Egg Plant, Sundakkai
Filipino: Takapasin, Taogotan, Balbalusa
French: Aubergine sauvage
German: Pokastrauch
Guangdong: 水茄
Hebrew: סולנום פראי
Hindi: भुरत - भंकटिया Bhurat, Bhankatiya
Hong Kong: 水茄
Indonesian: Takokak rimbang, Takokak, Rimbang, Cokak, Terung pipit
Japanese: スズメナスビ - セイバンナスビ
Java: Pokak, Tekokak, Ceri pokak, Takokak pokak, Cokak
Kannada: Kudane, Sundekkayi, Chunde, Chittabadane, Kaadu sonde
Lao: Kh'èèngz f'aaz, Kh'èèngz saph'au
Macao: 水茄
Malayalam: Chunda, Anachunda, Cheriyamodumutticka, Chithiramchunda, Malamchunda, Parachunda
Malaysia: Terong pipit, Terong rembang
Manipuri: Sing-khang
Marathi: Marang
Minang: Rimbang
Mizo: Tawkpui
Nepali: सेतो बिही - थुलो बिहिन - काचर - बिही Seto Bihi, Thulo Bihin, Kacher, Bihi
Oria: Bhuta bhajaria, Kantua, Dengabheji, Kathkoli
Portuguese: Jurubeba
Russian: Паслен страшный
Sanskrit: Brihati
Spanish: Berenjenita cimarrona, Amaclancle, Berenjena cimarrona
Sumatera: Terong pipit
Taiwan: 萬桃花
Tamil: Sundai, Sundaikai
Tangkhul: Kapkhathei
Telugu: Bongeredu, Chundaikai, Chitra kaya chettu, Konda vusti, Kottuvastu
Thai: มะเขือพวง

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