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Solanum aethiopicum - L.

Mock Tomato

Author	L.	Botanical references	200
Family	Solanaceae	Genus	Solanum
Synonyms	Solanum gilo - Raddi.
Known Hazards	Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many if not all the members have poisonous leaves and sometimes also the unripe fruits.
Range	Asia to Tropical Africa.
Habitat	Not known
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 2.5m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Small Ruffled Red'
'Turkish Orange'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.

Fruit - cooked when fully ripe[1, 2, 46, 105]. It can be used like aubergine (Solanum melongena) as a vegetable or as a flavouring for other foods[183]. We have only grown this plant once, the fruits were not at all pleasant, with a distinct bitterness[K]. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter[200]. The very young leaves are said to be edible when cooked[177] though they are bitter[183]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils when growing in a sunny position[1]. Cultivated for its edible fruit in northern and central Africa[61], there are some named varieties[183]. This species is not cold-hardy in Britain though it can be grown as an annual, flowering and fruiting in its first year from seed[K]. Slugs really love the young plants and will totally destroy them if given half a chance[K].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Consider giving some protection, such as a cloche, until the plants are growing away strongly[K].

Cultivars

'Small Ruffled Red'

The small, deeply creased fruit is about 5cm in diameter, the skin is orange-red, the flesh seedy and bitter[183]. It is prized in Southeast Asian cuisines for its bitter flavour[183]. A tall plant, growing up to 1 metre in height, it bears fruit in clusters and is resistant to nematodes and light frosts[183]. It can produce a crop of fruit within 100 days from sowing the seed[183].

'Sweet Red'

The small, very attractive fruit is about 2.5cm in diameter, the skin is green with dark-green stripes, turning red with dark-red stripes at maturity, the flavour is strong, but non-bitter[183]. It is usually eaten when small and green[183]. A thornless plant, growing up to 1 metre tall, it produces a crop within 125 days from sowing the seed[183].

'Turkish Orange'

The small, spherical fruit is about 6cm in diameter, the skin is bright orange-red, the flesh is seedy with an excellent sweet taste[183]. Usually eaten when still green, it is delicious in Thai curries and caponata[183]. A tall, hardy plant, it produces abundantly and is resistant to flea beetles[183]. It can produce a crop within 75 days of sowing the seed[183].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Solanum aethiopicum

Ian Keeling Sat Jul 8 2006

Earlier this year I bought "aubergine" seeds from Thompson & Morgan. Research on the Internet has revealed this to be a variety of Solanum aethiopicum. A variety of this is widely grown in Brazil (apparently it was brought there from Africa with the slave trade). There the fruit is harvested young, long before it becomes ripe. Some consider it at its best when it is still yellow - not even green, let alone red, when it becomes far too bitter for most palates. If I get any edible fruit from my plants I'll add my personal experience of it.

Solanum aethiopicum

Aberra Molla Mon Jan 15 2007

Ethiopic.com Scientific and common names of some Ethiopian plants.

Solanum aethiopicum

Rashidah Mubiru Wed Nov 25 2009

solanum production in uganda and its varieties

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