Solanum racemosum Jacq.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Solanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Solanum racemosum Jacq.

  • Description

    Species Description - Armed or unarmed shrub, 1-3 m tall, many-branched from base or with numerous branches along main stem; stems sparsely to densely stellate-pubescent when young, becoming glabrous and nearly cylindrical, often with straight, stout, yellowish thorns. Leaf blades 3.5-20 x 1-5.6 cm, lanceolate to elliptic, chartaceous, sparsely stellate-pubescent, sometimes sparsely spiny along both sides of midvein, the apex acute or obtuse, the base unequal, obtuse or narrowed, the margins entire; petioles 0.2-2.5 cm long, slender, stellate-pubescent, sometimes spiny. Flowers 5-merous, in lateral to subterminal racemes; the axes 2- 12 cm long, stellate-pubescent; pedicels 3-12 mm long, the lowest longer, stellate-pubescent. Calyx bell-shaped, 1.5-2 mm long, sparsely stellate-pubescent, the sepals obtuse; corolla white or light violet, yellowish at base within, deeply lobed, the lobes oblong, reflexed, 4-10 mm long, stellate-pubescent without; anthers connivent, yellow, subulate, 3-6.5 mm long, the filaments 0.2-0.3 mm long, connate into a ring; style slightly exserted. Berry fleshy, globose, 6-8 mm diam., glabrous, bright red, shiny. Seeds numerous, yellowish to beige, nearly kidney-shaped, ca. 2 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Solanum ignaeum L., Sp. PL, ed. 2, 1: 270. 1762. Solanum persicifolium Dunal, Hist. Nat. Solanum 185. 1813.

    Common Name: Cankerberry

    Note: This species shows a great deal of variation in leaf size and in the number of spines. Narrow -leafed, densely spiny plants have traditionally been referred to as S. persicifolium, whereas large - leafed, unarmed (or nearly so) plants have been called S. racemosum. Consistent application of either name to these plants becomes impossible because of interegradation of characters. Therefore, I am placing S. persicifolium as a synonym of S. racemosum.

  • Distribution

    A common shrub of scrub, dry forests, and open disturbed areas. Emmaus (A1995), Chocolate Hole (A1976), East End (A1833). Also on Anegada, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; Puerto Rico including Culebra, Icacos, Vieques, and the Lesser Antilles.

    West Indies| Vieques Puerto Rico South America| Isla Culebra Puerto Rico South America| Puerto Rico South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Anegada Virgin Islands South America|