Solanaceae

Solanum torvum

Common Names: Devil’s fig

Plant Form: Erect shrub or small tree. Size: 80 cm to 5 m tall. Stem: Green or purplish and hairy turning to brown and less hairy with age. Sometimes sparsely covered with 3-7 mm long prickles. Leaves: Alternate along stem, green on top with paler green underneath, oval shaped and often with lobes, cream coloured vein running down middle which is sometimes prickly. Flowers: White, star shaped with yellow central column. Up to 2.5 cm wide. In large clusters of 15-100. Fruit and Seeds: A round berry, initially green ripening to yellow, and black when dried out. Contains white, pale yellow or dull brown seeds. Habitat: Gardens, woodlands, waterways, pastures, roadsides. Distinguishing Features: Smaller than Giant devil’s fig (Solanum chrysotrichum), and larger than Tropical soda apple (S. viarum) but with smaller fruit. Impacts: Outcompetes native plants, forms dense thickets, toxic to people and animals.

Fruit

Flowers

Leaves slightly lobed

Few spines, soft brown hairs on new leaves