| Synonyms: |
Solanum wittei Robyns |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Semi-woody shrub, often scrambling, up to 4 m tall, stellate-hairy, often armed with short, yellowish, more or less curved prickles. Leaves simple, often closely set near the ends of branches, lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, up to 14 cm long, densely hairy below, rarely with a few prickles on the midrib; margin entire or sinuate. Flowers in lateral inflorescences, towards the ends of branches, bluish to pale to violet. Fruit globose, 5-10 mm, shining brown-yellow to deep red when ripe. |
| Type location: |
Mozambique |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | tettensis: of Tete in Mozambique |
| Habitat: | In deciduous woodland, often on termite mounds or rocky places. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Botswana, DR Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| FZ divisions: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 869. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 52. Gonçalves, A.E. (2005). Solanaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(4) Pages 92 - 93. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 80. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 235. As Solanum tettense Klotzsch Ntore, S. & Sosef, M.S.M. (2020). Solanaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique Pages 48 - 50. as S. tettense (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 106. Welman, W.G. (2008). The genus Solanum (Solanaceae) in southern Africa: subgenus Leptostemonum, section Giganteiformia Bothalia 38(1) Pages 43 - 44. |