Capsicum testiculatum

[Gekko]

A typical Solanum flower. It would be nice to see more photos, leaves look quite big, it could really be some Arfican eggplant type, (S. aethiopicum/gilo/macrocarpum...) But seems to be very fast.

Maybe you should give seedsman some feedback.

Hope you'll have good moussaka...  

[JohnF]

Don't think is actually an eggplant--based on Hudson's pic and description of of fruit but some kind of solanum--simialr to a couple including red ruffled eggplant except flowers are quite small.

http://www.pbase.com/chiles400/solanaceae

[JohnF]

Hey, Gekko

Here is a picture of one of the plants. Note the small size of the flowers.

[Gekko]

Thanks John,

It still looks wild or semi-wild African eggplant (small flowers -> small berries?)

S. macrocarpum that I'm growing looks quite similar, but it's not flowering yet so I can't be so sure.

Information about eggplant species and names here:
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Solanum_eggplants.html

[JohnF]

Thanks for the link. this one looks pretty close

http://www.bgard.science.ru.nl/images/47394362.jpg

[JohnF]

It is now producing fruit--very un-pepper like fruit

[Sauli Särkkä]

I see now where the name comes from


-Sale

[JohnF]

Ripe fruit. Very unpepper-like. One of the solanaceae.

[Nuthead]

What's the taste like?

[cmpman1974]

I don't think anyone is willing to taste it to find out.  I believe John said various berries from the Nightshade species are poisonous.  Not worth the risk IMO.  

Chris

[JohnF]

Chris is correct. Not willing to do a big taste with something I'm not sure of. I did touch my tongue to it and detected no heat or strong flavors--maybe a hint of citrus.

[Tupakka]

Yes.. a very strange pod indeed. Looks like a crossing of a chilli and a citrus fruit.

[tknummelin]

Is there a possibility of anyone knowing if it is poisonous or not?

'Cause if it isn't, it's sure worth tasting !  

[Gekko]

I'm pretty sure that it is some of these called "African eggplants". These berries shouldn't contain solanine or chaconine or any other glycoalkaloid when ripe. Please note: shouldn't . And after all, ripe berries are not green, which is some kind of indicator of glycoalkaloids in the Solanum genus.

But, your own risk...   :wink:

[Grifo]

it compliments post very interesting  :wink:

[JartsaP]

I agree with Gekko, looks like an eggplant to me too. I grew something quite similar looking last summer, it was called 'Brazilian Oval Orange'. Only my fruits were a bit bigger, longer shaped, but had the same color and appearance otherwise. I also have seeds of 'Red Egg', I haven't grown it, but I imagine it might look just like that.

'Brazilian Oval Orange'
http://www.kolumbus.fi/jartsap/Brasilian_Oval_Orange3.jpg
(Don't know what that additional part in the fruit is...)

There's also a species called Solanum aethiopicum (I think I have seeds for that one too), it's another reddish and round, small eggplant. African species.
http://images.google.fi/images?hl=fi&q=Solanum+aethiopicum&btnG=Etsi+kuvia&gbv=2

Edit: Sorry, I thought these last few posts were new, but actually this was a year-old conversation with only one new post.
Edit2: Sorry again, John has told already on the first page, that the species is really S. aethiopicum.

[JohnF]

Apology not necessary. Interesting that you came to the same conclusion. It does seems clear that this is not a capsicum. For me it is still an interesting plant for my solanaceae collection.

[JartsaP]

I found a photo of small S. aethiopicum seedling from my own collection, so it looks like I have grown it.


I had a little trouble in remembering what ever happened to the plant, but I found also a picture taken outdoors, with a very stunted little plant and a few green, immature fruits. So I guess I didn't have room in my greenhouse, and this African plant didn't exactly enjoy Finnish weather... No photo of flower or ripe fruit was to be found.

[Darlochileman]

Heres some Photos of the solanaceae Im growing.

b]The Plant [/b]






The Flowers





The pods





Mark

[Espelt]

There is aphids in photo nr. 3