''Solanum pyracanthos'', also known as the porcupine tomato, is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub native to tropical

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. It belongs to the genus '' Solanum'', a diverse and cosmopolitan genus with over 1,500 species including the

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

and nightshades. The plant contains toxic tropane

alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar st ...

in its leaves, stem and fruit and therefore should be considered dangerous to humans.

Description

''S. pyracanthos'' is perhaps most distinguished by a profusion of strong, straight fluorescent orange thorns which occupy the stems and leaves of the plant, giving it a forbidding appearance. The prickles are consistent throughout the plant, developing clearly from furry

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

s that coat the plant's leaves and stems. Sources give the normal height of the shrub at , although ornamental growers have reported taller growth.
''Solanum pyracanthos'', Rob's Plants The plant is not cold resistant, and will die if exposed to temperatures below freezing for more than a week, although plants that die back during the winter may regrow in extended periods of warm weather. The

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

ly lobed leaves are 6–21 cm long and the plant blooms year round with clusters of small, star-shaped violet inflorescences, followed by marble-sized greenish-yellow fruit.
''Solanum pyracanthos'', Taxon Concept, Natural History Museum, UK.

Taxonomy

''Solanum pyracanthos'' is found in scientific literature as ''S. pyracanthum'', ''S. runcinatum'', ''S. pyracantha'' and ''S. haematocarpum''.

Cultivation

''Solanum pyracanthos'' is grown ornamentally throughout the world. It requires moderate water and sun, a warm climate, and mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soil. The plant is a copious producer of seeds, and should therefore be handled carefully, as new saplings are aggressive growers and immediately produce their large thorns. File:Solanum pyracanthos, Phipps Conservatory, 2015-10-01, 01.jpg File:Solanum pyracanthon fruit.jpg

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2162537 Solanum, pyracanthos Endemic flora of Madagascar Garden plants of Africa