Herb latin name: Lycopersicon peruvianum


Synonyms: Solanum peruvianum


Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade Family, Potato Family)



Edible parts of Lycopersicon peruvianum:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is green and hairy but has a sweet tomato-like flavour. The fruit is about 7mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Flowering:
June to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Western slopes of the Andes below 2900 metres.

Propagation of Lycopersicon peruvianum:

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination is usually quick and good. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots of fairly rich compost as soon as the first true leaf appears and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Seed can also be sown in situ under a cloche at the end of April, though in a cool summer the results may be disappointing. 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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Western slopes of the Andes below 2900 metres.

Medicinal use of Lycopersicon peruvianum:

None known

Known hazards of Lycopersicon peruvianum:

All green parts of the plant are poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.