Malevolence or Purple Devil or The Five Minute Plant
Solanum atropurpureum
Potato family (Solanaceae)
Fully armoured stems
This forbiddingly prickly plant is native to Brazil. It is a direct relative of the potato (Solanum tuberosum) and wild weeds such as bittersweet (Solanum dulcamare), but is more toxic and bears spines. The juice of the berries causes a skin irritation on contact and the leaves and stems contain toxic substances. The stems and thorns of S. atropurpureum are purple in colour giving the plant an evil appearance, hence its common name ‘purple devil’.
Purple devil reaches 1.80 m high and is an annual in this part of the world. In its native habitat it is a short-lived perennial. Its toxicity and prickliness serve to protect the plant from animal predation.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Utrecht Botanic Gardens.
Solanum atropurpureum contains various toxic tropane alkaloids in its fruit, stems and leaves and should not be ingested. Sap from the fruit can cause skin irritation if touched therefore it is recommended that gloves be worn when handling this plant.
Details
| Description: | Herb, up to 1.8 m. |
|---|---|
| Distributions: | Brazil |
| Habitat: | Secondary scrubland. |
| Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
| Hardiness: | 34 - 41 f (tender - cool or frost-free glasshouse) |
| Flowering period: | Mei - juli |
| Flower color: | Yellow, white |
| Notes on flowers: | Flowers yellow to white. |
| Fruiting period: | Juli - augustus |