Goat bitter apple, Poison apple
Solanum aculeastrum
Family: Solanaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows to 4 m high. The stem is erect and prickly. The bark is greyish-brown. The leaves are green and with lobes. The leaves are deep green above and white and woolly underneath. The leaves are 4.5-14 cm long by 3-11 cm wide. The flowers are white and star shaped. The fruit are orange to brownish berries. They are 5 cm long.
There are about 1400 Solanum species. There are about 700 in tropical America and about 100 in Africa.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It prefers rich moist soils. It does best in a protected shady position. It is drought and frost tender. It grows naturally in wooded grassland. It grows between 1,050-2,100 m above sea level. In Nigeria it grows to 2,300 m.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, America, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
CAUTION: The fruit is poisonous. Some edible kinds have been selected. The fruit are eaten but are bitter.
Edible parts
Fruit, caution, leaves
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.
It is fast growing.
Its other names
Local names
Mtuma, Mtundu wa matungwi, Omotugunda