Solanaceae · Solanum

Bhurat / Turkey Berry

Solanum torvum

Also known as Devil's Fig

ShrubMedicinal
Habit
Shrub
Found in India
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Solanum torvum
Genus
Solanum
Habit
Shrub
Habitat
Degraded forests and also in the plains
Habitat type
Forest
Native to
Pantropical
Distribution
Naturalized in Tropics
Found in India
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Mizoram, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Manipur, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.The leaves are opposite or one per node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.The leaves are opposite or one per node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lobed leaf margin
Leaf margin
LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.The leaves are opposite or one per node, broadly ovate with the border entire or deeply lobed. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bhurat itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Whiterecorded
Flower arrangement
CorymbrecordedA flat-topped cluster where outer flower stalks are longer than inner ones.The flowers are white, tubular with 5 pointed lobes, and grouped in corymbiform cymes. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fruit type
BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.The fruits are berries that grow in clusters of tiny green spheres (ca. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Berry

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bhurat itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
Bhurat, Bhankatiya
Nepali
सेतो विही Seto Bihi, ठुलो विहीं Thulo Bihin, कचेर Kacher
Bengali
Tita bagoon, তিত বেগুন
Tamil
சுண்டைக்காய் Sundaikkai, சுண்டை
Telugu
Kottuvastu, ఉస్తికాయలు
Kannada
ಚುಂಡೆ Chunde, ಚಿಟ್ಟಬದನೆ Chittabadane, ಕಾಡುಸೊಂಡೆ Kaadu sonde
Malayalam
Anachunda, ആനച്ചുണ്ട
Marathi
Marang

About Bhurat

Turkey Berry (Solanum torvum) belongs to the Solanaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and 26 other states. It grows in degraded forests and also in the plains. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

It is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Solanaceae family
Botanical family

Solanaceae

Nightshade/Tomato family

Bhurat belongs to the Solanaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

Explore the Solanaceae family →

Snap it. Know it.

Point your camera at Bhurat or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.

Download SASYA — Free

Common plant problems

All plant problem & care guides →

More in Solanaceae

View all Solanaceae