Solanum viarum (Solanaceae), a new invasive plant for Iran

Document Type : Systematics and Biodiversity of Plants

Authors

1 Researcher, Department of Botany, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Ira

2 Researcher, Plants Club, Tabiat Institute, Research, Educational and Training of Tourism, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In recent field studies, Solanum viarum Dunal(Solanaceae) was collected and reported for the first time for the flora of Iran from around Qadikola in Mazandaran province (north of Iran). Notes on the morphology, taxonomy, geographical distribution, habitat and uses of this species are provided herewith. This is the first spiny species of the section Acanthophora in Iran. Solanum viarum Dunal in DC., Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis 13(1): 240 (1852); Type: Sao Paulo. Brazil, Lund 799 (GDC. holo. IDC microf. 2080: 1.1). Plants mostly shrubs, 1–2 m tall, many-branched from the base; stems, petioles, pedicels, and leaves densely glandular puberulent, straight covered with hairs, hairs less than 0.5 mm long; stem with few prickles, stems and leaves with yellow spines up to 1.5 cm long; leaves simple, 7–14 cm long and 5–10 cm wide, margins lobed, usually with 3–5 pairs of shallow obtuse or acute lobes; petioles 3–9 cm long, with long prickles; inflorescence lateral, with 2–5 flowers; peduncles stout, 15–20 mm long; calyx pubescent on outside, 4–7 mm long; corolla white or greenish white, star-shaped with five petals, 15–25 mm diameter; fruits globose berry, up to 15–30 cm in diameter, light green mottled, dark green when immature, yellow at maturity, with a whitish or greenish layer; seeds 100–300 per berry, broad kidney-shaped, 2–3 mm in diameter, light red-brown (Fig. 1). The plant was identified and described by the help of studying the reliable flora and articles (Mullahey et al. 1993, Welman 2003, Waggy 2009). Specimen examined: Iran: Mazandaran province, 8 km south of Ghaemshahr, Qadikola forest, 100 m, Eskandari & Abdi (IRAN-77431). According to the Flora Iranica (Schoenbeck-Temesy 1972), 12 species, and Khatamsaz (1998), 10 species of Solanum are reported from Iran but based on a recent taxonomical and molecular study of Solanum (Eskandari et al. 2020), only eight valid species is reported for this genus from Iran. In general, accurate determination of the genera and species in the family Solanaceae in Iran, requires attention by performing more molecular study to clarify its actual taxonomic status (Ghahremaninejad & Riahi 2020). Solanum viarum grows originally in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, but has also spread in South America, Central America, the West Indies, and the southern United States (tropical soda apple). This plant has long been naturalized in part of China and the Indian subcontinent (Babu 1971), and is reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon (Jaeger & Hepper 1986) also. The species was accidentally and sporadically introduced into Africa and can be expected to spread to many other subtropical areas (Nee 1991), but recently becoming an invasive species in cattle pastures in the south-eastern United States. Since its introduction into the U.S., it has rapidly infesting to an estimation of one million acres of pastures, citrus groves, sugarcane fields, ditches, vegetable crops, forestlands (oak hammocks and cypress heads), natural areas etc. (Charles et al. 2012). In more tropical areas, flowering and fruiting occurs throughout the year (Nee 1991) while in open woodland and pine plantations of southern Africa, flowering season is confined to November to April with fruiting in August (Welman 2003). The root system of this plant consists of a deep and strong wooden base with numerous resistant lateral branches which under suitable conditions (low elevations mostly below 1000 m), can become invasive with a wide range of distribution. It is often a common weed of natural areas, improved pastures, croplands, roadsides and fence rows, waste places, open disturbed sites, secondary growth and forest edges (Waggy 2009). Solanum viarum contains chemical constituents like Solasodine which is found in many plants of Solanaceae family. The Solasodine has many medicinal properties and are used as fever-reducing agent, pain-reliever, laxative, diarrhea, anticoagulant and anti-asthma, anemia, burns, carminative, constipation, cough, cut restoration, food digestion, infections, mouth disinfection, skin diseases, toothache etc. in Iran. (Eskandari et al. 2019).

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

Solanum viarum، گیاهی جدید و مهاجم برای ایران

Authors [Persian]

  • مجید اسکندری 1
  • نیلوفر عبدی فولادکلایی 2
1 محقق بخش تحقیقات رستنی‌ها، مؤسسه تحقیقات گیاه‌پزشکی کشور، سازمان تحقیقات، آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، تهران، ایران
2 پژوهشگر کانون گیاهان، مؤسسه طبیعت، آموزش و تحقیقات طبیعت‌گردان، تهران، ایران
Abstract [Persian]

گونهSolanum viarum Dunal  (تیره سیب‌زمینی) برای نخستین بار در ایران از اطراف قادیکلا قائمشهر در استان مازندران جمع‌آوری و گزارش می‌شود. نکاتی درباره ریخت‌شناسی، تاکسونومی، پراکندگی جغرافیایی، زیستگاه و مصارف کاربردی این گونه ارایه می‌شود. این نخستین گزارش از گونه خاردار تاجریزی از بخش Acanthophoraدر ایران است. بیشتر گونه‌های تیره سیب‌زمینی از جملهS. viarum ، دارای Solasodine هستند که این ترکیب دارای خواص دارویی بسیاری بوده و در ایران به عنوان کاهش‌دهنده تب، تسکین‌دهنده درد، ملین، مسهل، ضدآسم، ترمیم‌کننده، هضم غذا، ضدعفونی‌کننده دهان، درمان بیماری‌های پوستی، دندان درد و غیره استفاده می‌شود.

Keywords [Persian]

  • Solanum viarum
  • بادنجانیان
  • گزارش جدید
  • ایران
  • مهاجم

References

Babu, C.R. 1971. The identity of Solanum khasianum Cl. var. chatterjeeanum Sen Gupta (Solanaceae). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 67: 609–611.
Charles, T., Bryson, K., Reddy, N. John, D. & Byrd, Jr. 2012. Growth, development, and morphological differences among native and nonnative prickly nightshades (Solanum spp.) of the southeastern United States. Invasive Plant Science and Management 5: 341–352.
Eskandari, M., Assadi, M., Shirzadian, S. & Mehregan, I. 2019. Ethnobotanical study and distribution of the Solanum section Solanum species (Solanaceae) in Iran. Journal of Medicinal Plants 18(71): 85–98.
Eskandari, M., Assadi, M., Shirzadian, S. & Mehregan, I. 2020. Taxonomical, Molecular Phylogeny and Ethnobotanical Study of Solanum in Iran. PhD Thesis. 147 pp. (unpublished).
Ghahremaninejad, F. & Riahi, M. 2020. The systematic position of Archihyoscyamus A.M.Lu (Solanaceae Juss.): an analysis based on nuclear and plastid sequences. Botany Letters. doi: 10.1080/23818107.2020.1824806.
Jaeger, P. & Hepper, F.N. 1986. A review of the genus Solanum in Africa. Pp. 41–55. In: W.G. D'Arcy, Solanaceae: Biology and Systematics. Columbia University Press, New York.
Khatamsaz, M. 1998. Solanaceae No. 24. In: Assadi, M., Mozaffarian, V. & Massoumi A.A. (eds), Flora
of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. 112 pp.
Mullahey, J.J., Nee, M., Wunderlin, R.P. & Delaney, K.R. 1993. “Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum): a new weed threat in subtropical regions”. Weed Technology 7(3): 783−786.
Nee, M. 1991. Synopsis of Solanum section Acatuhophora: a group of interest for glycoalkaloids. Pp. 257–266. In: J.G. Hawkes, R.N. Lester, M. Nee & N. Estrada (eds), Solanaceae III: Taxonomy, Chemistry and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew and Linnean Society of London.
Schonebeck-Temesy, E. 1972. Solanaceae. Pp. 49–79. In: K.H. Rechinger (ed.), Flora Iranica 100. Graz.
Waggy, M.A. 2009. Solanum viarum. In: Fire Effects Information System [Online]. U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/solvia/all.html [Nov. 30, 2020].
Welman, W.G. 2003. The genus Solanum (Solanaceae) in southern Africa: subgenus Leptostemonum, the introduced sections Acanthophora and Torva. Bothalia 33(1): 1–18.
Rostaniha
Volume 21, Issue 2 - Serial Number 60
December 2020
Pages 299-302

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History

  • Receive Date: 16 November 2020
  • Revise Date: 13 December 2020
  • Accept Date: 16 December 2020

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