Turkey Berry aka wild eggplant (水茄)
Found up to an altitude of 1600m, and common on roadsides and in disturbed soils, this spreading or sprawling shrub can grow up to 2 to 3m in height. The leaves are simple and ovate to elliptical in shape and is lobed. Leaf surface is pubescent. The stems have slightly hooked thorns growing along its length and have a layer of hairs growing on it. The thorns are more sparse on aged growth. Flowers are white and are borne on a dense, branched corymb. The flowers are bisexual. The plant flowers throughout the year. The fruit is a globular, glabrous berry and measures about 1.0 to 1.15cm in diameter. Each fruit has about 300 to 400 flat, brownish seeds. It is ideally grown under full sun or partial shade and prefers moist conditions.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Solanum torvum Sw.
COMMON NAME
Turkey Berry, Devil's Fig, Terung Pipit, 水茄
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) Plant Growth Form Shrub (Woody) Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
Soil Preference Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils Light Preference Full Sun, Semi-Shade Water Preference Moderate Water Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting USES
- Young, immature fruits are eaten raw, cooked as a vegetable or used as an ingredient in curry sauce.
- In Malaysia the roots are used as a poultice for cracks in the feet and the seeds are smoked for curing toothache.
- In China, the roots are believed to disperse blood which have leaked into the surrounding tissue and to relieve pain.
- In India, extracts of the plant are used as an antidote to insect stings and the fruit eaten to relieve stomach ache.
Disclaimer
The information in this website is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.
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