Solanaceae Week: Solanum viarum from Morni Hill tract

[Gurcharan Singh]

Solanum viarum Dunal, A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1):240. 1852

syn: Solanum khasianum var. chatterjeeanum Sengupta

The morni trip helped me to understand Solanum viarum more closely, a plant on which there has been considerable discussion on our group. The species is distinct from other woody species of the genus in its medium sized white flowers with narrow corolla lobes about 8-10 mm long, flowers 1-5 in a cluster and 2-3 cm across pale yellow berries.

The prickles are of two types: most on the stem with broad base curved at tip and up to 5 mm long. and some needle like straight prickles. In addition the surface of leaf along the veins is covered with straight long prickles up to 2 cm long.

The leaves are sometimes in unequal pairs, irregular-lobed with 3-5 rounded lobes, lobes usually reaching middle or so, glandular and stellate hairy

The flowers cluster is borne on a short cluster, usually on under side. Usually only one flower in the cluster matures into a 2-4 cm long berry, mostly pale yellow in colour.

 The plant was found growing at altitude of about 700 m in the Morni Hill tract.

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Yazdy Palia]

Thank you Dr. Gurcharan Singh ji,
You have described it very accurately. Regards
Yazdy.