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Solanum mammosum L.

Family Name:	Solanaceae
Common Name:	Nipple Fruit, Cow's Udder Plant, Lady Nipples, Five-finger Fruit, Macaw Bush, Titty Fruit, Apple of Sodom, Nipple Nightshade, 乳茄, 五代同堂, 五指茄, 真奇之果

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Herb or Spice

Ornamental Flowers

Annual

Herbaceous Plant

Solanum mammosum, plants used as landscape decor

Solanum mammosum, view of dissected fruits

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Herbaceous Plant
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial, Semi-Annual / Annual-Like, Annual

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Shrubby
Maximum Height	0.6 m to 1.8 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Mexico, Carribean, tropical South America
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Disturbed Area / Open Ground)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Perennial herbaceous shrub, sometimes used as annual. Grows up to 1.8m tall and somewhat coarse-looking. Stems densely covered with fine glandular hairs, and may have thorns.Leaves broadly-lobed, velvety, armed with spiny recurved prickles on major veins on upper and lower surface. Flowers star-shaped, with furry purple petals and yellow centres, produced in clusters of 3 to 4. Fruits are pear-shaped berries with nipple-like protrusions and spongy white mesocarp, ripen from green to yellow to orange, contain numerous reddish-brown to dark brown flattened seeds covered with purplish mucilage.Usually grown for unusual ornamental fruits, which are toxic if ingested. Pefers well-drained soils rich in organic matter. Propagate by seeds or cuttings.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Food (Herb or Spice) Others: Branches of ripe fruits used in floral arrangements. Mucilaginous fruit sap may be used as natural detergent. Fruits also used as cockroach poison and repellent against leaf cutter ants. Fruits symbolize good luck and often used as festive decor during Lunar New Year. Also used as religious offering in Taiwan. Ripe fruits used medicinally in homeopathic remedies, and said to be effective against skin diseases like athlete's foot and to soothe nervousness and irritability.

Others - Plant Morphology

Perennial herbaceous shrub, sometimes used as annual. Grows up to 1.8m tall and somewhat coarse-looking. Stems densely covered with fine glandular hairs, and may have thorns.Leaves broadly-lobed, velvety, armed with spiny recurved prickles on major veins on upper and lower surface. Flowers star-shaped, with furry purple petals and yellow centres, produced in clusters of 3 to 4. Fruits are pear-shaped berries with nipple-like protrusions and spongy white mesocarp, ripen from green to yellow to orange, contain numerous reddish-brown to dark brown flattened seeds covered with purplish mucilage.Usually grown for unusual ornamental fruits, which are toxic if ingested. Pefers well-drained soils rich in organic matter. Propagate by seeds or cuttings.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Food (Herb or Spice)
Others: Branches of ripe fruits used in floral arrangements. Mucilaginous fruit sap may be used as natural detergent. Fruits also used as cockroach poison and repellent against leaf cutter ants. Fruits symbolize good luck and often used as festive decor during Lunar New Year. Also used as religious offering in Taiwan. Ripe fruits used medicinally in homeopathic remedies, and said to be effective against skin diseases like athlete's foot and to soothe nervousness and irritability.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Fruits
Landscape Uses	Flowerbed / Border, Focal Plant, Container Planting
Thematic Landscaping	Golden Garden, Economic Garden

SGMP Treatment
Usage Hazard - Cons	Spines/Thorns - Stem/Branch, Spines/Thorns - Leaf, Toxic Upon Ingestion
Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks	Leaves covered with spiny prickles on adaxial and abaxial veins. Stems may also be armed with recurved spines. Fruits are toxic if eaten.

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Velvety / Furry / Tomentose, Hairy / Hirsute, Spiny / Bristly / Stinging

Foliar Modification	Spine (axillary), Prickle / Emergence (blade)
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Whorled
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Obovate, Oval)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Dentate
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute
Foliar Base	Truncate / Square
Typical Foliar Area	Mesophyll ( 45cm2 - 182.25 cm2 )

Non - Foliar and Storage

Stem Type & Modification	Herbaceous
Root Type	Underground (Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Purple, Yellow / Golden
Flower Symmetry	Radial

Individual Flower Shape	Stellate / Star-shaped
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Orange
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Fleshy Fruit , Berry

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	1165
Species ID	2458
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.