The Potato Creeper
Solanum seaforthianum
Also known as Brazilian Nightshade, Italian Jasmine, St. Vincent Lilac
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- July-February
How to identify The Potato Creeper
Identify The Potato Creeper by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a climbing shrub habit.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
- Confirm flower colour: Purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-February.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Solanaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is The Potato Creeper.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Solanum seaforthianum
- Genus
- Solanum
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Habitat
- Degraded evergreen and moist deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Brazil
- Distribution
- Widely naturalised
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The alternate leaves are mostly pinnatisect and ovate in outline, measuring 4–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, and are deeply lobed and divided into three to nine erratically shaped seg” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“The alternate leaves are mostly pinnatisect and ovate in outline, measuring 4–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, and are deeply lobed and divided into three to nine erratically shaped seg” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“The alternate leaves are mostly pinnatisect and ovate in outline, measuring 4–10 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, and are deeply lobed and divided into three to nine erratically shaped seg” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for The Potato Creeper itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for The Potato Creeper itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- காட்டுக்கொடி
- Malayalam
- വള്ളിത്തക്കാളി
About The Potato Creeper
A member of the Solanaceae family, The Potato Creeper (Solanum seaforthianum) is a climbing shrub. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 6 other states. It grows in degraded evergreen and moist deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from July to February.
Solanaceae
Nightshade/Tomato family
The Potato Creeper belongs to the Solanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Solanaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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