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Solanum pimpinellifolium - L.

Common Name Currant Tomato
Family Solanaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards All green parts of the plant are poisonous[19 , 76 ]. Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[K ].
Habitats Not known in a truly wild situation.
Range Original habitat is obscure, probably Western S. America as a cultivated form of L. Cerasiforme.
Edibility Rating    (4 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Moist Soil Full sun
Solanum pimpinellifolium Currant Tomato


Forest & Kim Starr wikimedia.org
Solanum pimpinellifolium Currant Tomato
Forest & Kim Starr wikimedia.org

 

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Summary

Currant Tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium, is a wild tomato species native to Ecuador and Peru. There are annual. biennial, and perennial varieties. Other common names are German Raising Tomato and Tomatillo. The branches are slender and initially erect, becoming procumbent or decumbent. The fruits are small, red, globose and edible. It can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for later use. The seeds yield edible oil which can also be used in making soap. The fruits have medicinal uses as well. It can be used as first aid treatment for burns, scalds, and sunburn. It is also used in the treatment of rheumatism and headaches. Root decoction is ingested to relieve toothache.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Solanum pimpinellifolium is a ANNUAL/BIENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Lycopersicon esculentum pimpinellifolium (Jusl.) Mill. Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium (L.) Mill. Lyco

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit  Oil  Seed
Edible Uses: Oil

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[1 , 105 , 183 ]. Sweet and delicious, it makes an excellent dessert fruit and is also used in savoury dishes as a vegetable[K ]. The red, globose fruit is rather small and fiddly, about 10 - 15mm in diameter, but it is produced in quite large bunches and is well worth the effort of picking[K ]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[46 , 61 ]. The seed is small and it would be very fiddly to utilize. It is only viable to use the seed as a source of oil if large quantities of the plants are being grown for their fruits and the seed is not wanted.

References   More on Edible Uses

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.
Antirheumatic  Odontalgic

The pulped fruit is an extremely beneficial skin-wash for people with oily skin. Sliced fruits are a quick and easy first aid treatment for burns, scalds and sunburn[201 ]. A decoction of the root is ingested in the treatment of toothache[218 ]. The skin of tomato fruits is a good source of lycopine, a substance that has been shown to protect people from heart attacks. It seems to be more effective when it is cooked and so can be obtained from food products such as tomato ketchup and tinned tomatoes[246 ]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[7 ]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism and severe headaches[7 ].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Oil  Repellent  Soap making

Agroforestry Uses: The strong aroma of this plant is said to repel insects from nearby plants[7 , 18 , 20 ]. Other Uses A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed. Used in making soap[46 , 61 , 171 ]. See the notes above regarding utilization.

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Plants are not frost-hardy. They can be grown outdoors in Britain as a spring-sown annual started off under glass in the spring. In cool wet summers the total yields are likely to be low[K ]. Requires a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position. The plant has been introduced as a crop into the Galapagos, where it has shown a tendency to invade disturbed areas. It is of particular concern there due to possible hybridization with native Solanaceae[305 ]. There are some named varieties[183 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - sow in situ The seedcoat may carry tomato mosaic virus. However, by sowing the seed 15mm deep the seedcoat will remain below the soil surface when the seed germinates and the disease will be inactivated[124 ].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Mantathur chin,

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Australia, Andes, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Mexico, North America, Northeastern India, Peru, South America, USA.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

The plant has been introduced as a crop into the Galapagos, where it has shown a tendency to invade disturbed areas. It is of particular concern there due to possible hybridization with native Solanaceae[305 ].

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Solanum aethiopicumMock Tomato, Ethiopian nightshadeShrub2.5 10-12  LMHNM322
Solanum ajanhuiriAjanhuiriPerennial0.0 9-11  LMHSNM20 
Solanum americanumAmerican Nightshade, American black nightshadeAnnual1.0 0-0  LMHNM100
Solanum andigenumAndigenaPerennial0.0 -  LMHNM20 
Solanum aviculareKangaroo Apple, New Zealand nightshadeShrub1.8 8-11  LMHNM222
Solanum boreale Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM10 
Solanum boyacense Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM10 
Solanum cari Perennial0.0 -  LMHSNM10 
Solanum carolinenseHorse Nettle, Carolina horsenettlePerennial1.0 3-7  LMHSNM021
Solanum chauchaChauchaPerennial0.0 -  LMHSNM10 
Solanum curtilobumRuckiPerennial0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Solanum dulcamaraBittersweet. Bittersweet Nightshade, Climbing nightshade, Bittersweet, Deadly Nightshade, PoisonousPerennial Climber2.5 4-8 MLMHSNM030
Solanum fendleriWild Potato, Fendler's horsenettle, Texan horsenettlePerennial0.0 0-0  LMHNM32 
Solanum jamesiiColorado Wild Potato, Wild potatoPerennial0.2 8-11  LMHNM20 
Solanum juzepczukiiRuckiPerennial0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Solanum kurzii Perennial0.0 -  LMHSNM10 
Solanum laciniatumKangaroo AppleShrub3.0 8-11  LMHNM222
Solanum linearifoliumMountain Kangaroo AppleShrub0.0 -  LMHNM20 
Solanum liximitante Perennial0.0 -  LMHSNM10 
Solanum luteum Annual0.0 -  LMHSNM10 
Solanum lycopersicumTomato, Garden TomatoAnnual2.0 10-12 FLMHNM533
Solanum lyratum Perennial Climber2.0 -  LMHNM12 
Solanum maglia Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM20 
Solanum melongenaAubergine, EggplantPerennial1.0 8-11  LMHNM32 
Solanum muricatumPepinoShrub1.0 8-11  LMHNM400
Solanum nigrumBlack Nightshade, Common Nightshade, Poisonberry, Black NightshadeAnnual0.6 0-0  LMHNDM222
Solanum paniculatumJurubeba, NightshadeShrub2.0 10-12 FLMHSNM040
Solanum phurejaPhureja, NightshadePerennial0.0 8-11  LMHSNM30 
Solanum piliferum Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM20 
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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