Pepino
(Solanum muricatum) it is quite rare cultivated in Europe
fruit herb which is origin to South America. The plant is similar to
common potato in appearance but it creates large (usually yellow and
purple striped) edible fruits. It belongs to series Muricata
within section Basarthrum of genus Solanum.
There exist numerous (over 20) wild cousins of Pepino, which often
also create edible fruits, but usually smaller.
|
Ripe fruits of Tzimbalo (Solanum canense) (commonly sold in web-shops under false name “Solanum caripense”) |
They
are very hard to find in trading but I grew 2 species: Tzimbalo
(Solanum canense)
and Pepino Lloron
(Solanum caripense).
They both are easy to germinating (should be sow surface)
and can fruit in first year from seeds if sown early (the best to sow
them in January/February and replant outside after last frosts).
Tzimbalo
(Solanum
canense)
(commonly sold in
Internet shops under false
name “Solanum
caripense”) – this
is tropical procumbent
(not climbing) perennial
herb, with
large numerous-leaflet pinnate-compound leaves, which
creates small, round, pale
green, purple striped, very
delicious edible fruits. It
is origin
to lowlands
of Central
and South America (Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Colombia). I
noticed that the seeds which are commonly sold in internet seed-shops
as Tzimbalo “Solanum
caripense” are
misidentified and that this is truly Solanum
canense. The
S. canense differs
from true S. caripense
by a few features as:
-
branched inflorescences,
-
more flowers in inflorescences,
-
much more leaflets in pinnate-compound leaves (7-15 in case of S.
canense in comparison to 3-5 of S. caripense),
-
existing of interstitial leaflets (which lacks in S. caripense),
-
and lax habit (in comparison to half-vining habit if S.
caripense),
-
round shape of fruits (they
are egg-shaped and smaller
in case of true S.
caripense),
-star-like shape flowers (S.
caripense has rotate
flowers).
Solanum
canense
belongs to series Canensa
which is monophyletic group (there belongs only this one species)
within section Basarthrum
but I read that it can be successful crossed with some other species
of this section (as S.
trachycarpum).
|
Solanum canense creates star-shaped flowers... |
|
...and branched inflorescences |
|
Young fruits and flowers |
|
Unripe fruits |
|
Fruits ripe very late, so one year I harvested numerous unripe fruits only (because they grew in open garden, not in pots, and I could not to take them inside in autumn) |
|
Ripening fruits |
|
Ripe fruits (late autumn - plant grew in pot and was taken inside in end of summer) |
Pepino Lloron (Solanum
caripense)
– this
is (sub-)tropical
(it is said to survive short
periods of light
frost to -2,5ºC
= 27,5ºF),
scrambling
perennial,
with
half-woody stems, little 3-5-leaflet-compound
leaves and
small aromatic fruits. It
grows in wild state in South America (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia,
Venezuela) and Central America (Costa Rica) at mountain
elevations
(800-3,800m
=
2700-12700ft).
The fruits (a
little oblong, pale
green, dark green striped) are
edible and are eagerly eaten by local people. They are sweetish and
aromatic (delicious!) but small (not larger than cherry, only
to 3cm = 1,2inch long, usually smaller).
I
bought seeds of this
one
from one shop as unknown species of nightshade (Solanum
sp.).
I only read that it was harvested in mountains
of Peru.
I identified it as true S.
caripense
when it grew up (with key to genus Solanum
of Peru). This
species belongs
to series Caripensia (also
within
sect. Basarthrum)
and
is said to be able to successful crossing with Pepino (S.
muricatum). It is very similar to Pepino (the translation of Spanish name "Pepino Lloron" is "Weeping Pepino").
|
The flowers of true Solanum caripense are rotate (not star-shaped) |
|
It can create dense half-climbing bushes |
|
The pinnately-compound leaves have usually only 3 (rarely 5) leaflets |
|
Solanum caripense has larger calyx than S. canense |
|
Ripening fruits (true Solanum caripense has less flowers in inflorescence and less fruits in infrutescence than S. canense) |
|
The ripe fruits of true S. caripense (in the end of summer - this is earlier than S. canense) |
In
South and Central America there exists numerous other species of
Solanum
sect.
Basarthrum
(Pepino cousins). If you have available seeds of any of them please
write to me.
You have a werry good page, but I'm wondering if you are really sure that Tzimbalo isn't S.caripense? In every plant database I've looked in Tzimbalo is namned caripense and on som places that peppino llorno is a popularname for Tzimbalo. Daniel Krig
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