The genus <i>Solanum</i> (Solanaceae) in southern Africa: subgenus <i>Leptostemonum</i>, the introduced sections <i>Acanthophora</i> and <i>Torva</i>

Abstract

In the genus Solanum L. (Solanaceae), subgenus Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter, section Acanthophora Dunal has four representatives in the Flora of southern Africa region (South Africa. Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia. Botswana), namely S. aculeatissimum Jacq.. S. capsicoides Allioni. S. mammosum L. (cultivated only) and S. viarum Dunal. Section Ton a Nees has two representatives in southern Africa, namely S. chnsotriclium Schltdl. (S. hispidum auctt. non Pers.) and S. ton um Sw.; both are naturalized weeds. Solanum capsicoides, S. viarum and S. torvum have not been listed before for southern Africa. All are introduced species native to the New World. Descriptions, discussions, illustrations and distribution maps of the naturalized species are presented, as well as keys to the species of both sections.

Nuevos xenófitos de Gran Canaria (Islas Canarias, España), con énfasis en las especies naturalizadas y (potencialmente) invasoras

“…Costa rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama). Naturalized in South Africa (Welman, 2003) and Australia (Symon, 1981;Bean, 2004).…”

Fruit anatomy of species of Solanum sect. Acanthophora (Solanaceae)

“…Acanthophora lies in the fact that some of its species are considered invasive weeds. For instance, S. viarum Dunal (''tropical soda apple''), is naturalized in USA, Africa, and Asia (Bryson and Byrd, 1994;Welman, 2003), while S. palinacanthum Dunal (''pocote'', ''joab agudo''); invades roadsides and crop fields in Argentina and Brazil (Auler Mentz and Oliveira, 2004;Nee, 1991). Conversely, other species of the section are cultivated for their ornamental value (e.g.…”

World Spread of Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum) under Global Change: Historical Reconstruction, Niche Shift, and Potential Geographic Distribution

“…The species loss, health damage, and economic costs it causes in different ecosystems are of great concern, despite its medicinal value in India [ 15 ]. The whole plant of S. viarum is spiny; in forest and cropland ecosystems, it often occupies the space of neighboring plants, affecting the growth of native plants and reducing the yield of commercial crops [ 16 ]. Solanum viarum contains toxic alkaloid chemicals.…”