Turkey berry (Solanum torvum)

Takokak or 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.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Solaneae
Genus: Solanum
Species: Solanum torvum

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