Identification
  - woody climber with paired weakly-lobed leaves
  - hook-like spines and fine stellate hairs
  - flowers 1 cm, white with yellow anthers
  - fruit a 1 cm red-orange berry

Description: Liana, 2 to 7 m; stems armed with short curved spines; leaves paired, fine stellate pubescent, petiole 3-5 cm, often with spines, blade to 5 x 14 cm, ovate to elliptic, apex and base acute to obtuse, entire or with several weak tooth-like lobes, main veins with sparse recurved spines, flower with corolla to 10 mm long, 11-15 mm diameter, white, anthers 5 mm long, yellow; fruit 8-10 mm, globose, red-orange, with many flat seeds.

Similar species

Solanum aturense

Solanum jamaicense

Local distribution: Pacific slope at 800-1400 m.

Species range: Mexico to northern South America and Antilles

Habitat: Forest edge, large light gaps, secondary vegetation, overgrown pastures.

Herbivores

Hyalyris excelsa

Mechanitis polymnia

Phenology: Flower: may-jun. Fruit: nov.

Pollinators: Bees

Seed dispersers: Birds

Comments: More secondary in habitat preference than S. siparunoides and occupies a drier, more seasonal vegetation zone.

Credits: Images and text copyright 2002-2006 by William A. Haber, http://efg.cs.umb.edu/