Solanum scabrum Mill.

3.Solanum scabrumMill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: Solanum no. 6 (1768). Fig. 4 = Solanum melanocerasum All., Auct. Syn. Meth. Stirp. Hort. Regii Taur.: 664 (1774). Type. “ Solanum guineense, fructo magno, instar cerasi nigerrimo, umbellato ” cultivated in England in John Sherard’s garden in Eltham, Herb. Dillenius 336 (neotype, designated by Edmonds (2012: 129) as “ lectotype ”: OXF [Dill. HE- 274-234]). Type. Cultivated at Chelsea Physic Garden, Herb. Miller (lectotype, designated by Henderson (1974: 61) as “ type ”: BM 000847083). Description. Upright and robust, non-sticky annuals or (in warmer regions) short-lived perennials up to 150 cm tall; trichomes simple; leaves green or somewhat purple, ± concolorous, base truncate, margin entire or rarely shallowly sinuate, glabrous or with short trichomes located mainly along the veins; each cyme of 8–12 or even more flowers (in cultivated varieties); corolla actinomorphic, white or occasionally lilac, 7–12 mm in diameter, anthers 2–3 mm long, equal; calyx not accrescent, not enveloping ripe fruits (calyx segments spreading or slightly reflexed); fruit 10–20 mm in diameter, purple-black, ± glossy when mature, sclereidal concretions absent. Taxonomic note. Solanum scabrum has been known and reported under a number of synonyms, such as S. melanocerasum (Baranova and Puzyryov 2012). Puzyryov (2021 b) noted that it was confused with S. retroflexum in cultivation, but the latter can be readily distinguished by its shorter anthers (1.3–1.8 (– 2.0) mm long vs. 2–3 mm long in S. scabrum) (Särkinen et al. 2018). Distribution. This species is native to tropical Africa (Särkinen et al. 2018), where it is widely cultivated for its edible leaves as well as for other purposes (Manoko et al. 2008, with references therein). It is also cultivated in other regions, e. g., Australia (Symon 1981) and Great Britain (Stace 2010), but has not yet naturalized there. It is sometimes cultivated in Russia as an ornamental or edible plant under the name “ Sun Berry ” or “ Canadian Blueberry ” (Puzyryov 2021 b; Tremasova 2023). Native to Tropical Africa; alien in Europe, North America, and Australia. In European Russia, the species was first reported from the Udmurt Republic (Baranova and Puzyryov 2012, as S. melanocerasum). Currently, it is also known from Astrakhan Oblast (Sagalaev and Sukhorukov 2025), Tver Oblast (Notov 2009; Mayorov 2018, both as S. americanum), the Udmurt Republic (Puzyryov 2021 b), Volgograd Oblast (Sagalaev and Sukhorukov 2025), and Yaroslavl Oblast (Tremasova 2023). Ecology. Landfills, cultivated land. Because of its cultivation, species occurrences are largely confined to landfills, where they originate from garden waste (Puzyryov 2021 b; Tremasova 2023). Residence status. Casual alien. Based on its tropical origin, the species cannot survive in the temperate climate for a long time (Sagalaev and Sukhorukov 2025). Pathways of introduction. Escape from confinement: ornamental purpose other than horticulture; agriculture. This species is an ergasiophyte, rarely found near cultivated areas in European Russia.