97. SOL AN ACE. ^. [5. Solanum. 



glabrous white yellow or dark purple, 1" or often of great size in 

 cultivation. 



Wild or feral, common in the dryer district ! The cultivated form is grown every- 

 where in the rains. Fl. r.s. Fr. chiefly c.s. 



De Candolle does not deal with this plant in his Origin of Cultivated Plants 

 except in the general summary, where he ascribes its native country to India. 

 Sendtner (teste Clarke) gives its home as Arabia. 



Prickles flattened, straight or curved, "i-'d" only, often only a few straight 

 prickles on the calyx and the rest unarmed. Petiole about 1" long. Fls. often 

 ti-9-merous. Fertile flower usually reflexed. Young calyx only toothed, older 

 lobed half-way ".down and lobes quickly accrescent, often acuminate, tomentose, 

 fruiting calyx sometimes "9" long. Corolla blue, up to "7" long, tomentose outside. 

 Anthers scarcely attenuate, "3". 



Roxburgh distinguishes three species, viz. (a) S. melongena, Willd. L. obliquely 

 ovate, scollop-lobed. Fertile flowers solitary, drooping, barren in small racemes. 

 Fruit oval. O) (S. longum, Boxb. (Kuli-baigun, Beng.). L. ii'regularly ovate, 

 scolloped. Calyx sometimes armed. Fruit always cylindric. (7) S. insanum, 

 Willd. Perennial, armed (in poor soil). L. ovate sinuate downy. Peduncles 1-4- 

 fld. Fruit oval to spherical, often white. 



10. S. xanthocarpum, Sc7ira(if. S( Wendi. Syn. S. diffusum, Eoicb., and 

 including S. Jacquini, Willd. ; Rangaini janum, S. ; Ringni, Jf . ; 

 Kantakari, Beng. ; Bejari, Ankaranti, Or. 



A diffuse i-ather pretty herb, sometimes woody at the base, very 

 copiously armed all over with straight yellow very sharp prickles 

 •5-'7" long and many shorter ones. Leaves bright green Avith 

 scattered stellate hairs, ovate, oblong or elliptic in outline, deeply 

 lobed or sub-pinnatifid with the lobes or segments mostly again 

 lobed or dentate. Flowers deep blue 1-1'3" diam. in extra-axillai y 

 few-fld. cymes. Calyx •15-'2" long in flower with small linear lobes 

 and usually very broad sinuses between, scarcely accrescent in fruit. 

 Fruit globose, -5-1" diam., yellow, or sometimes white under shade, 

 glabrous. 



Roadsides and waste places, very common. Probably in all districts. FL, Fr 

 Dec-June. Perennial. 



Branches from the root usually dichotomous and flexuose, often angled by the 

 decurrent petioles, which are 1-2" long. Young parts sometimes stellate tomentose. 

 Leaves with usually acute lobes. Calyx usually prickly, usually glabrescent. 

 Corolla scarcely lobed. Berry often variegated green and white when unripe. 



Roxburgh states that S. diffusum, Roxb.,\H diifuse with the leaves oval deeply 

 scolloped or lobed, with the lobes sometimes again scolloped or lobed, downy and 

 prickly on both sides, while S. jacquini, H Hid., is creeping with angular stem. 

 Leaves oblong-laciniate and nearly void of pubescence. Both are armed with long 

 straight spines. 



The fruits are eaten in curries, etc. Boiled in ghee they are given for cough 

 and toothache. 



11. S. trilobatum, L. 



A very prickly climbing mvich-branched shrub with sharp recurved 

 short compressed prickles and more or less deltoid or triangular 

 irregularly lobed or sinuate leaves 1-2" long. Flowers pretty, purple- 

 blue, I" diam. Avith erect yellow stamens. Beriy 25-"S" diam., 

 globose, red. 



Orissa, from Balasore ! To Puri ! Common on the rocky shores of the Chilka 

 Lake ! Fl., Fr. April-Jan., perhaps all the year round. 



Leaves rather fleshy in our area, sometimes hastately 3-lobed, mostly obtuse, with 

 scattered stellate hairs, a few prickles on the mid-rib. Petiole '3-1". Pedicels '5-1' , 

 solitary or in few-fld. extra-axillary or terminal cymes. Calyx small, sepals '1-'15' . 

 Corolla stellately pubescent outside. Anthers "3", gradually attenuate. 



613 



