Solanum vestissimum facts for kids

Solanum vestissimum is a plant that grows in warm, humid areas, like the subtropical parts of northwestern South America. It's a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. People in its native home call it toronjo, tumo, or coquina melón. This plant can be a large shrub or a small tree, sometimes growing up to 8 meters (about 26 feet) tall, but it's usually smaller. Its leaves are very big and shaped like hearts. They have spines along the main vein, similar to the naranjilla plant. The leaves and stems are also covered in soft, fuzzy hairs, like felt.

Where Toronjo Grows

The toronjo plant naturally grows in cool, misty areas called cloud forests. You can find it in countries like Colombia and Venezuela. Even though its fruit is edible, people don't often grow it on farms. Instead, it grows wild and spreads easily in places that are not too high up in the mountains. Just like the naranjilla, the toronjo likes to grow in shady or partly shady spots.

About the Toronjo Fruit

The fruit of the toronjo is a large berry. When it's not ripe, it's green. As it ripens, it turns yellow or yellow-orange. It's about the size of a small tomato or a large tomatillo. Inside, the fruit has orange flesh filled with many small seeds.

People say the fruit tastes really good. It has a strong, sweet-tart flavor. Some scientists think it could be a great fruit to grow more often. However, there's a challenge: the fruit is covered with sharp, prickly bristles. These bristles stay on the fruit even when it's ripe and can irritate your skin. If the fruit isn't picked, it often swells up and bursts open, releasing its seeds. For the toronjo to become a popular farm fruit, scientists would need to breed new types that have fewer or no bristles.

Plant Family and Relatives

Solanum vestissimum belongs to a big plant family called Solanum. This family includes many well-known plants like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. S. vestissimum is part of a special group within this family called the Lasiocarpa clade.

Other plants in this group include:

• S. candidum
• S. hyporhodium
• S. lasiocarpum
• S. felinum
• S. quitoense (the naranjilla)
• S. repandum
• S. pseudolulo

Many of these related plants also have spines and fuzzy hairs, just like S. vestissimum. They often have similar heart-shaped leaves. A lot of them also produce edible fruits. It's even possible for some of these different species to mix and create new hybrid plants. There's a lot of variety in how these plants look and how their fruits taste.