what is this weed?

[watertrade]

Hi,

I only call it a weed because it grows so well and turns up everywhere in my garden. probably even more so now it has fruited!.

it starts out as a little bush with palmate leaves, purple flowers and black berries. and grows when mature ( if I am looking at the same plants ) as this big (10 foot) with green to orange fruit and single acicular leaves ;)

and it looks like this.

[whitewind]

Kangaroo apple? Solanum aviculare

[kindness]

Yeah it looks a bit like kangaroo apple.

Bit crap on proper names in how leaves grow but do the leaves look like kangaroo foot prints?

Edit: re looked at your pictures... its close but not really... bush looks to dense leaves arent right but berries and flower description sounded close. Some type of solaceanae (spelling?)

[watertrade]

Thanks guys, it does have kangaroo foot like like leaves.

I'm certain it is one of the aussie solanum species, (which makes me happy because I kind of picked this was the case)

Devils apple, kangaroo apple...

http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp12/solanum-laciniatum.html

Interesting read here too about its use in dermatology.

http://dermatology.cdlib.org/rxderm-archives/curaderm

Edited March 24, 2013 by watertrade

[gerbil]

Hi Wt i'd dance around S. lanciniatum, aviculare and linearifolium. They can be difficult to ID. I think one of the references can be Solanum in Australia (1981) though could have been redone.

You're black berry thing confused me, as you say they are staying orange later on. If you are getting darker blacks/purples you might have linearifolium. But if they are orange it's looking more lanciniatum, with some red then towards aviculare (but not strict as lanciniatum and aviculare can be browny, reddy, yellowy, orangey)

Flower lobes are good for ID with this bunch, fruit colour and shape, stem angled or not etc.

There's lots of different resources, with some conflicting info, without typing stuff up or scanning, maybe start with these links.

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanum%20species/key/Australian%20Solanum%20species/Media/Html/Solanum_linearifolium.htm

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanum%20species/key/Australian%20Solanum%20species/Media/Html/Solanum_laciniatum.htm

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanum%20species/key/Australian%20Solanum%20species/Media/Html/Solanum_aviculare.htm

[bullit]

if its kangaroo apple i would love sum seeds ?!?!

[watertrade]

I must have been thinking about two different plants and two different species. Both S. aviculare and maybe S. laciniatum

Thanks everyone. Its Interesting to have some more info about them.

Bullit, you are welcome to seeds if you want them.

Cheers

[bullit]

cool lets us know when u have sum thanx heapz w.trade