Solanum caripense

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Solanum caripense
A young specimen of Solanum Caripense.jpg
A domesticated specimen of Solanum caripense in the early stages of growth.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species:
S. caripense
Binomial name
Solanum caripense

Solanum caripense is a species of evergreen shrub native to South America and grown for its edible fruit.

Rare in cultivation, it is known as tzimbalo. The fruit closely resembles the related pepino ( Solanum muricatum ), and it has been speculated that Solanum caripense may be the wild ancestor of the pepino. Like the pepino, the tzimbalo is a relative of other nightshades cultivated for their edible fruit, including the tomato (S. lycopersicum), the naranjilla (S. quitoense) and the eggplant (S. melongena).

The fruit is infrequently cultivated in its native range of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile but has been rediscovered on a small scale by heirloom gardeners elsewhere in the world.

A flower and the fruit of S. caripense Solanum caripense flower and fruit.jpg
A flower and the fruit of S. caripense

Distribution and habitat

The tzimbalo is presumed to be native to the temperate Andean regions of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Like the pepino, the tzimbalo can bear fruit within 1 or 2 years from seed. The fruits are round berries, to 2 cm in size, which ripen to yellow or pale green, with dark-colored longitudinal stripes. The flavor and texture, while similar to the pepino, tends to be tangier and more juicy.

Like the pepino, the tzimbalo performs best in a warm, relatively frost-free climates. The plant can survive a low temperature of -2.5 °C (27 to 28 °F) if the freeze is very short, though it may drop many of its leaves. Like its close relatives, the species is a perennial, but its sensitivity to chilling, pests, and diseases, along with its relatively long growing season serve as hindrances to large scale commercial exploitation. The tzimbalo does adapt well to greenhouse cultivation.

Like most edible nightshades, the tzimbalo is highly attractive to pests like aphids, white flies, beetles, and spider mites.

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Solanum candidum is a species of evergreen shrub native to South America and occasionally grown for its edible fruit.

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Solanum catilliflorum is an evergreen vine in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Peru, and is a close relative of Solanum muricatum, the domesticated pepino. It bears small, dish-shaped flowers and is self-compatible and autogamous, with short styles like those that characterize all self-compatible species in this group. It also has a low pollen:ovule ratio, which is characteristic of self-compatible species in the group. It is diploid at n  =  12. Together with Solanum perlongistylum, it might be an allopatric variant of S. caripense.

Solanum perlongistylum is an evergreen vine in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Peru, and is a close relative of S. muricatum, the domesticated pepino. Its style is the longest in the group, and its flowers have a higher pollen:ovule ratio. It is self-incompatible. It is diploid at n  =  12. Together with Solanum catilliflorum, it might be an allopatric variant of S. caripense.

References

  1. "Solanum caripense". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 17 January 2010.