Twoleaf nightshade (Solanum diphyllum) is a species of plants in Solanaceae, upright shrubs grow in shade, 1-2 m tall, rounded stems, dense, green-purple brown, short hairy, stopping cells, cornered young twigs and widely cultivated as plants decorate with bright yellow ripe fruit.
S. diphyllum has leaves that are alternating, solitary or paired in twigs with generative organs. Some are stemmed for 1-1.5 cm. The leaves are oval to oblique round eggs, dynamic base, flat or wavy edges, tapered or rounded edges, 1-14.5 cm long, 0.5-4 cm wide and have short hair.
Flowers facing leaves 5-25 mm long. Has a 2 mm handle, brownish purple, straight and unbranched. Hook 5-10 mm, greenish to brown and curved. The petals have five ears, resembling kupula, pale green, 1-5 mm long and short haired.
Flowers have five crowns, coincide, star-shaped, yellowish white, 2-5 mm long. Has five stamens, free and facing the crown. Short and yellowish green pistil. The stigma is yellow, attached to the base and 1-2 mm long. Pistil length 4-6 mm.
The fruit will hitchhike, round, has two spaces and the axillary placenta. Green when young and yellow when ripe, 10-14 mm and flavorful. Kidney shaped seeds, thickened edges, creamy yellow, 2-5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Mesokarp is yellow-orange and sweet.
Twoleaf nightshade grows in shady places in the forest, roadside, abandoned land, plantation areas and house yards. They grow at 0-1600 m altitude, also in calcareous and dry soils at 0-250 m altitude.
Sturnira ludovici, S. lilium, Dermanura tolteca and birds have an important role in seed dispersal and are widely distributed elsewhere. Each fruit containing up to 48 seeds will produce large amounts of offspring. Seeds are drought resistant and can germinate in dry environments.
Some people use fruit for tonics and for treating asthma, constipation and skin diseases. S. diphyllum contains polyphenols, aliphatic amino acids, nitriles, aromatic alkenes and amides. Root extract inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the colon, breast and liver with a percentage of 88%, 86.9%, and 73.5%, respectively.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Solaneae
Genus: Solanum L. in Sp. Pl.: 184 (1753)
Section: Geminata
Species: Solanum diphyllum L. in Sp. Pl.: 184 (1753)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Pseudocapsicum diphyllum (L.) Medik. in Philos. Bot. 1: 122 (1789)
PUBLICATIONS
Hợp, V.V. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 17: 1-324. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.
Lê, T.C. (2005). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 3: 1-1248. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.
Pullaiah, T. & Karuppusamy, S. (2020). Flora of the Eastern Ghats 7: 1-474.
VERNACULAR NAME
Chinese (simplified): 黄果龙葵
Chinese (traditional): 瑪瑙珠 - 黃果龍葵 - 秋珊瑚
English: Twoleaf nightshade
Indonesian: Takokak sore, Ceri sore, Ranti sore, Terong-terongan semak
Japanese: ナガハスズメナスビ
Javanese: Takokak sore, Ceri sore, Tomat-tomatan
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