Common Name:

General Information

Solanum villosum is an unarmed, much-branched annual or short-lived perennial herb; it can grow 50cm tall, occasionally to 60cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The leaves are often sold as a food in local markets in Africa, where the plant is also sometimes cultivated[].
Solanum villosum probably originated in southern Europe but is now widespread as a weed throughout central and southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is also common in northern and tropical Africa whence it might have been introduced as it was to North America, New Zealand and Australia (where it is occasionally naturalised) and probably also to the UK and northern Europe[].

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Possibly originating in southern Europe, the plant is widespread throughout warm temperate to tropical areas, though absent from C. & S. America.

Habitat

Edges of Fagus/Abies forests, waste places, at elevations from 250 - 900 metres in Turkey[]. Disturbed areas and along the edges of agricultural fields[]. Slopes, valleys, near roads, shady places; at elevations from 100 - 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Solanum villosum occurs from the warm temperate zone to the tropics at elevations from sea-level to about 2,400 metres. The optimum temperature is probably between 20 - 30°c and the plant is intolerant of frost. It performs well during the rainy season, or when irrigated regularly. An annual rainfall of 500 - 1,200mm is suitable[].
The plant can grow on a wide range of soils, but prefers soils that are rich in organic matter and land covered with ash of recently burnt vegetation[]. The plant is not resistant to drought[]. Weeding is important when the plants are young, later the crop suffers little from weeds[].
Growth of seedlings is fast and flowering starts after 5 - 8 weeks. Under stress, flowering can start even earlier[].
Vegetative growth slows down with flowering as a result of competition[].
The plant is self-pollinating and self-compatible and sets fruit easily under favourable environmental conditions. It continues flowering even when it has started fruit set, resulting in plants bearing mature fruits on the lower branches, young ones in the middle and flowers in the top part[].
The first harvest is expected 4 - 5 weeks after transplanting. Harvesting for the market is done in the late evening or early morning. The stem is cut with a knife or picked by hand about 10cm above the ground. This allows new shoots to form and is done at intervals of 7 - 14 days, allowing 8 - 10 harvests from the stock. When spacing is close (e.g. 10 cm × 10 cm) whole plants are uprooted. Flowers are removed before the produce is taken to the market[].
In Kenya and Tanzania the annual yield of small-scale farmers is 20 - 25 tonnes of leaves and young shoots per hectare; another report mentions a cumulative yield of edible leaves of 12 - 20 tonnes per hectare per growing season in Kenya[]
Two subspecies of Solanum villosum have been distinguished: subsp. Villosum and subsp. Miniatum (Bernh. Ex Willd.) Edmonds, based on hair density and presence or absence of glands on the hairs and whether the stem is rounded and smooth or angled with toothed ridges. The less hairy subsp. Miniatum is preferred as a vegetable. However, many authors do not recognize these subspecies[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. A somewhat bitter flavour[]. The young leaves are boiled with water and are sometimes fried. The young shoots and leaves are picked, chopped and then boiled or sometimes fried with onions and tomatoes and sometimes mixed with meat or fish[]. It is often prepared together with less bitter vegetables such as amaranths, spider plant (Cleome gynandra), bitter leaf (Vernonia spp.) or cowpea leaves[]. It can also be boiled in milk to reduce the bitterness[]. The young shoots and leaves are mixed with groundnut paste, wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed; or it is boiled, drained and sesame (Sesamum indicum) is added to make it a thick and more tasty sauce[]. The leaves can be stored for later use by boiling them in water, drying and then crushing them to a powder[].

The ripe fruits are eaten[]. The red, orange or yellow fruit is a globose berry 6 - 10mm in diameter, containing many small seeds[].

Medicinal

Solanum villosum forms an important part of traditional medicine in Africa.
Two alkaloids have been isolated from the green fruits, diosgenin and solasodine, but the amount of alkaloids is lower than in Solanum americanum[].

The unripe fruits are used to soothe toothache. They are also squeezed on babies' gums to ease pain during teething[].

The leaves are used in the treatment of stomachache[]. The addition of the leaves to the diet is believed to contribute to the treatment of fever associated with hypertension[].
Pregnant women in most parts of Kenya are encouraged to eat the boiled leaves; people believe that they will then give birth to dark-eyed and smooth-skinned babies[]. It is further believed that children who eat the leaves cooked with milk, groundnuts or sesame rarely develop marasmus or kwashiorkor[].
The leaves are applied as a poultice on swellings[].

Extracts from the leaves and fruits are used to treat tonsillitis[].

The fruit juice is used to calm sore eyes[].

The roots are boiled in milk and given to children as a tonic[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
Seed - under optimum conditions of moisture and temperature, the seeds germinate within seven days[]. Direct sowing is common; commercial farmers often use nurseries. In nurseries the seed is mixed with sand or ash, or sometimes both, to facilitate uniform sowing. The beds are prepared by loosening the soil by hand hoe after application of decomposed manure. The beds are covered with grasses which are burnt to sterilize the soil. This also adds potash to the soil. Seed is broadcast or sown in furrows 15 - 20cm apart. The seeds are covered with a thin layer of soil, but sometimes farmers prefer to leave them open so that they germinate earlier. Especially during the dry season, the beds are covered with tall grasses to maintain soil moisture. The grass is removed when the seedlings are about 3cm tall[].
Stem cuttings have also been used for propagation[].