''Solanum aviculare'', commonly called poroporo or pōporo (New Zealand), bumurra (Dharug), kangaroo apple, pam plum (Australia), or New Zealand nightshade, is a soft-wooded shrub native to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

and the east coast of Australia. The

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

names ''pōroporo'' and ''pōporo'' come from a generic

Proto-Polynesian Proto-Polynesian (abbreviated PPn) is the hypothetical proto-language from which all the modern Polynesian languages descend. It is a daughter language of the Proto-Austronesian language. Historical linguists have reconstructed the language using ...

term for any Solanum species and similar berry-bearing plants. Other names used for ''Solanum aviculare'' in the language include ''hōreto'' and ''peoi''.

Taxonomy and systematics

''Solanum aviculare'' was first described by German naturalist Georg Forster in 1786, from a collection in New Zealand. ''Solanum aviculare'' is similar to '' Solanum laciniatum'', with which it has been confused. Compared to ''S. laciniatum'', ''S. aviculare'' has smaller flowers (usually pale blue, sometimes dark purple, white or striped blue / white) with acute corolla lobes, it has smaller seeds, up to long, and a different chromosome number (2n = 46) and is found on the Kermadec Islands, North Island, northern South Island and Chatham Islands of New Zealand, while ''S. laciniatum'' has much larger, rotate, darker purple flowers with broad, flared (ruffled) corolla lobes with rounded apices, larger seeds that are long, and a different chromosome number (2n = 92). It is mostly found south of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

and is very common in the southern North Island, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. ''Solanum laciniatum'' is the most commonly found species overseas where it is often incorrectly called ''S. aviculare''. In addition to this two varieties of ''S. aviculare'' have been named. ''S. aviculare var. albiflorum'' is a minor genetic sport of ''S. aviculare'' and is generally not regarded as distinct but ''S. aviculare var. latifolium'' has a different growth habit, much broader, usually entire leaves and larger flowers, and in New Zealand (where it is endemic) it is still accepted as distinct by many botanists. * ''Solanum aviculare'' var. ''albiflorum'' Cheeseman * ''Solanum aviculare'' var. ''latifolium'' G.T.S.Baylis

Description

''Solanum aviculare'' is an upright shrub that can grow up to tall. The leaves are long, lobed or entire, with any lobes being long. Its hermaphroditic (having both male and female organs) flowers are white, mauve to blue-violet, wide, and are followed by berries wide that are poisonous while green, but edible once orange.

Distribution and habitat

''Solanum aviculare'' grows in rainforests, wet forests and rainforest margins on clay soils. Associated Australian species include the rainforest plants Golden sassafras (''

Doryphora sassafras ''Doryphora sassafras'', commonly known as sassafras, yellow-, canary- or golden sassafras, or golden deal, is a species of evergreen tree of the family Atherospermataceae native to the subtropical and temperate rainforests of eastern New Sou ...

''), black wattle (''

Acacia melanoxylon ''Acacia melanoxylon'', commonly known as the Australian blackwood, is an ''Acacia'' species native in South eastern Australia. The species is also known as Blackwood, hickory, mudgerabah, Tasmanian blackwood, or blackwood acacia. The tree belo ...

''), and lillypilly ('' Acmena smithii''), and wet forest species brown barrel ('' Eucalyptus fastigata'') and turpentine ('' Syncarpia glomulifera'').

Ecology

Bees are thought to pollinate the flowers.

Uses

The leaves and unripe fruits of ''S. aviculare'' contain the

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a sub ...

alkaloid 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 simila ...

solasodine. ''S. aviculare'' is cultivated in Russia and Hungary for the solasidine which is extracted and used as a base material for the production of

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

contraceptives Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth cont ...

. The plant is also used as a rootstock for grafting

eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

. Australian Aborigines used the fruit as a poultice on swollen joints. The plant contains a steroid which is important to the production of cortisone.

References

External links

Plants of New Zealand
''S. aviculare'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q1295038 aviculare Edible Solanaceae Solanales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of the North Island Flora of Norfolk Island Flora of Queensland Flora of South Australia Flora of Victoria (Australia) Eudicots of Western Australia Crops originating from Australia Crops originating from New Zealand Plants described in 1786