Devil’s apple
Solanum capsicoides, Fam. Solanaceae
Annual or short-lived perennial sub-shrub to 1m or more, sparsely hairy; stems and twigs armed with thin straight sharp spines up to 12mm long.
| Weed Category: |
Other invasive plants Invasive plants that are not prohibited or restricted invasive plants, but are known to spread readily and cause negative impacts, within the region.
|
| Weed: | Yes |
| Form or habit: | Shrub |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Leaf: | Simple Alternate Usually alternate, simple, stalks 10-80mm long, blades broadly ovate, 30-210 x 25-180mm, margins deeply or shallowly lobed, hairy above; glabrous or sparsely hairy below. Stalks, midrib and lateral veins on both sides, armed with pale spines, 4-15mm long. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
White, Yellow |
| Flower description: | Star-shaped, white with bright yellow stamens, 20-30mm in diameter; borne in axillary racemes or singly. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Orange, Red |
| Fruit: | Dry |
| Fruit description: | Slightly depressed globular berry, 25-45mm in diameter, dryish rather than fleshy and bright orange to scarlet at maturity with numerous pale brown seeds, about 5mm in diameter; calyx and stems with spines. |
| Habitat: | |
| Distribution | |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | Toxic if ingested |
| Origin: | Central America |
| Notes: | Spread by: probably animals and water. Invades/threats: creek banks, disturbed rainforest and rainforest margins, Melaleuca forests. Notes: probably introduced as an ornamental. Scattered occurrence within the region. Suspected of poisoning stock. Environmental weed. |
| Information sources: | Mackay Regional Pest Management Group (2018) Weeds of the Mackay Whitsunday Region Second Edition. |
