Solanum nigrum (PROSEA)
 |
Introduction |
- Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 186 (1753).
Synonyms
Solanum schultesii Opiz (1843).
Vernacular names
- Black nightshade, common nightshade, garden nightshade (En). Herbe à calalou, morelle noire (Fr)
- Indonesia: ranti (Javanese), leunca (Sundanese), bobose (Ternate)
- Malaysia: ranti, terong meranti, terong parachichit (Peninsular)
- Papua New Guinea: takuta (Wapenamanda, West Sepik)
- Philippines: konti (Filipino), anti (Bontok, Tagalog), kuti (Bikol)
- Thailand: ma waeng nok (southern), ya tom tok (northern), kha om (Prachuap Khiri Khan)
- Vietnam: cà nút áo, gia cầu, lu lu dực.
Distribution
Native to Europe and western Asia, introduced in North America, Africa, Asia and Australia; probably fairly widely distributed throughout the Malesian region.
Uses
The medicinal use of S. nigrum goes back more than 2000 years. The plants are used as an emollient and antalgic in itching, burns and neuralgic pains, and are also considered expectorant and laxative. The leaves are said to have sedative and healing properties and are applied to cuts and ulcers. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat yaws. The fruit is considered to be a cure for diabetes. In Papua New Guinea, cooked leaves and stems are given to infants suffering from diarrhoea. In China, cooked young shoots are considered to be corrective and cooling, to increase the virility of men and to benefit menstrual disorders. A decoction of the leaves or seeds is used to treat wounds, cancerous sores and as an astringent. Diuretic properties are also attributed to the plant. The leaf juice is used against pain caused by an inflammation in the kidneys and bladder and by virulent gonorrhoea. In India, the leaves are used to treat inflammations on any part of the body, rheumatic and gouty joints and skin diseases. An extract of the leaves and stem is considered useful to treat dropsy, heart diseases, piles, gonorrhoea, fevers, eye diseases and the chronic enlargement of liver and spleen. Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable either raw or cooked. The ripe fruits have been used for jam-making and in pies, but caution should be taken as unripe fruits are certainly poisonous and the fruits of European S. nigrum and possibly of other Solanum species are thought to be poisonous at all stages of their development.
Observations
An annual or perennial unarmed herb up to 1 m tall, indumentum of simple eglandular and glandular hairs; leaves ovate, 4-10 cm × 2-7 cm, simple, margin entire to bluntly toothed, base cuneate, apex obtuse; inflorescence extra-axillary, a short raceme of (3-)4-8(-12) flowers; calyx campanulate, lobes up to 1 mm long, corolla stellate, 8-10 mm in diameter, white or rarely tinged with purple, anthers oblong, 2-3.5 mm long, ovary glabrous, style 5-6 mm long, stigma capitate; fruit globose to ellipsoid, 6-8(-10) mm in diameter, 2-locular, dull or somewhat shiny black or purplish-black, calyx not enlarged and with appressed or scarcely reflexed lobes; seeds (15-)25-35(-45) per fruit, 1.8-2.2 mm long. S. nigrum is common in open and disturbed places, in full sunshine or slight shade, also in light forest, up to 3100 m altitude.
Selected sources
21, 42, 78, 97, 164, 190, 202, 214, 287, 349, 375, 566, 749, 874, 999, 1035, 1087, 1178, 1235, 1244, 1245, 1260, 1297, 1356, 1380, 1432, 1652.
Authors
M.M. Blomqvist & Nguyen Tien Ban
