Solanum ferox (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Solanum ferox L. var. involucratum (Blume) Miq.

Family: Solanaceae

Synonyms

• Solanum involucratum Blume.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: karundang (Sundanese), ricontom, contoman (Javanese).

Distribution

Indonesia (Java), Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The hairy berries can be eaten raw.

Observations

• Erect prickly herb, up to 1 m tall.
• Leaves ovate, 10-15 cm × 10 cm, thorny on nerves on both sides, purplish.
• Fruit a globose berry, about 2 cm in diameter, 1-3 together in axils of leaves, white hairy, enclosed in the large calyx lobes.

In open places of secondary vegetation, up to 1500 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R.C., 1963 1968. Flora of Java. 3 Volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands.

• Heyne, K., 1927. De nuttige planten van Nederlandsch Indië [The useful plants of the Dutch East Indies]. 2nd ed. 3 Volumes. Departement van Landbouw, Nijverheid en Handel in Nederlandsch Indië. 1953 pp.

• Ridley, H.N., 1922-1925. The Flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 Volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co., London.

Authors

• P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen

• See also the Solanum (PROSEA Vegetables) page for the vegetable.