Herb: Cutleaf Nightshade


Latin name: Solanum triflorum


Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade Family, Potato Family)



Medicinal use of Cutleaf Nightshade:

A decoction of the berries has been used in the treatment of stomach aches and for children with diarrhoea.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
75 cm
(2 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Dry plains, open woods, roadsides etc.

Edible parts of Cutleaf Nightshade:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Used in times of food shortage. Eaten as a fruit or vegetable, the fruit can also be dried, ground into a powder and used with cereals for making bread etc. The ripe fruit can be boiled, mashed and mixed with ground chilli and salt then used as a condiment with mush or bread.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of Cutleaf Nightshade:

Dry plains, open woods, roadsides etc.

Known hazards of Solanum triflorum:

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.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.