''Solanum aculeastrum'' is commonly known as soda apple, sodaapple nightshade, goat apple, poison apple, or more ambiguously as "bitter-apple". It is a poisonous nightshade species from Africa and not related to true apples. The term "soda apple" probably derives from "Apple of Sodom (disambiguation), Sodom apple", modified due to the fruit's detergent properties.

Description

It is a shrub or small tree native to tropical Africa south to South Africa, in a wide range of soil, terrain, and climatic conditions. It is highly branched and reaches 1–5 m high, with numerous sharp, hooked, brown Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorns. The leaf, leaves are ovate, up to 15 cm long and 13 cm broad, with lobed margins and downy undersides. It flowers (in South Africa) from September to July, peaking from November to March. The petals are white to pale violet surrounding the ovary, the flower also has a bitter, sour smell. These yield to fruit from April to January, peaking in June and November. These smooth, round berry (botany), berries are 6 cm in diameter and fade from green to yellow as they ripen. These berries contain high levels of the poisonous alkaloid solanine. The species name ''aculeastrum'' refers to the thorns that adorn most parts of the shrub.

Uses

Because of its dense growth and prickly nature, soda apple is used as a hedge (barrier), hedge and living barrier for containing livestock. It is often used as a soap replacement, as it is high in saponin. Traditional Zulu people, Zulu practices use the fruit - fresh, boiled, or charred - in herbalism, herbal medicine to treat a wide variety of afflictions, including cancer, toothaches, and ringworm.

Synonyms

The soda apple has been described under a range of junior synonyms, now invalid. Several of these are ambiguous homonyms:Solanaceae Source [2008]
''Solanum aculeastrum''
Retrieved 2008-SEP-25. * ''Solanum albifolium'' C.H.Wright * ''Solanum conraui'' Dammer * ''Solanum dregei'' C.Presl :The ''S. dregei'' described by Dunal in A. P. de Candolle, de Candolle is now ''Solanum capense, S. capense''. * ''Solanum horridissimum'' Hort. Par. ex Sendtn. (''nomen nudum'') * ''Solanum protodasypogon'' Bitter * ''Solanum rugulosum'' De Wild. * ''Solanum saponaceum'' Welw. (''non'' Dunal: Solanum saponaceum, preoccupied) :The ''Solanum saponaceum'' described by William Jackson Hooker, W.J. Hooker is the ''Solanum elaeagnifolium, S. elaeagnifolium'' of Antonio José Cavanilles, Cavanilles. :''Solanum saponaceum'' var. ''uruguense'', described by August Grisebach, Grisebach, is now ''Solanum bonariense, S. bonariense''. * ''Solanum sepiaceum'' Dammer * ''Solanum subhastatum'' De Wild. :''Solanum subhastatum'' as described by Lyman Bradford Smith, L.B. Smith and Downs is now ''Solanum cylindricum, S. cylindricum''. :''Solanum spectabile'' var. ''subhastatum'' as described by Otto Sendtner in Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, von Martius is the ''Solanum affine, S. affine'' of Sendtner. * ''Solanum thomsonii'' C.H.Wright The botanist Bitter distinguished a number of subspecies and variety (botany), varieties of the soda apple, but these are not considered valid taxa anymore: * ''Solanum aculeastrum'' ssp. ''pachychlamys'' Bitter * ''S. a.'' ssp. ''sepiaceum'' (Dammer) Bitter * ''S. a.'' var. ''albifolium'' (C.H.Wright) Bitter * ''S. a.'' var. ''conraui'' (Dammer) Bitter * ''S. a.'' var. ''exarmatum'' Bitter * ''S. a.'' var. ''parceaculeastrum'' Bitter

Description

Uses

Synonyms

References

Further reading