What 'weed' is this? (forum)

Kathy starts with ...
Here's a weed in my garden. It's about 2/3 metre high, has small white flowers, and fruits (green when unripe and black and soft when ripe).

I've eaten quite a lot of the black fruit (delicious) and survived - and so am wandering if this is bush tucker???
Kathy
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 2nd November 2011 11:12am

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denise says...
It is probably the black nightshade. Most people erroniously call it deadly nightshade and think you die from eating it. It is an important weed in African and other gardens as the leaves are also used and sold as a potherb. Probably best not to eat large quantities to be on the safe side. Definately make sure of only eating fully ripened fruit.There are various forms including one with huge edible fruit called huckleberry-not to be mistaken for the true huckleberry.

Time: 2nd November 2011 11:58am

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Kathy says...
Denise - thanks a lot. I like the berries - and so far they've not killed me or created a rash .... but will be much more careful now :)
Kathy

Time: 2nd November 2011 2:36pm

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snottiegobble says...
denise, the plant in the photo doesnt look anything like the nightshades which are closely related to capsicums,& eggplants in the solanum ) potato family.
Thankfully we dont have nightshade in Aust. but in Britain the berries have been known to kill several kids!
All the leaves in this group are soft green & can wilt easily when stressed thru lack of water! potatoes & tomatoes are a prime example!

Time: 3rd November 2011 12:33am

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snottiegobble says...
Sorry, big mistake, they are Belladonna!
but still soft & green & wilt easily!!

Time: 3rd November 2011 12:39am

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Speedy says...
yes, black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) Denise is spot on.
Is a nightshade but not deadly, black fr. edible, but don't eat them green.

Luther Burbank worked on developing larger fruited solanum simmilar to this plant, known as 'sunberry'.
supposedly an African species crossed with a European or Nth American species.

I've seen some people use the juice from the crushed lvs. of S.nigrum for treating skin sunspots.
it stains a very dark green , on the sunspot.




Time: 3rd November 2011 8:47am

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Kathy says...
I've just looked up Wikipedia on Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and found it has been eaten in various cultures (including African culture as Denise noted). Thanks so much for all the input. I've always never weeded out this plant. I like the tiny flowers and enjoy the fruit. It's good to know its name - and its various uses. Kathy
Here is what Wikipedia says:
Culinary usage

In India, the berries are casually grown and eaten; but not cultivated for commercial use. The berries are referred to as "fragrant tomato." Although not very popular across much of its growing region, the fruit and dish are common in Northern Tamil Nadu, Southern Andhra and Southern Karnataka. In North India, the boiled extracts of leaves and berries are also used to alleviate the patient's discomfort in liver-related ailments, including jaundice.
In Ethiopia, the ripe berries are picked and eaten by children in normal times, while during famines all affected people would eat berries. In addition the leaves are collected by women and children, who cook the leaves in salty water and consumed like any other vegetable. Farmers in the Konso Special Woreda report that because S. nigrum matures before the maize is ready for harvesting, it is used as a food source until their crops are ready.[2] The Welayta people in the nearby Wolayita Zone do not weed out S. nigrum that appear in their gardens since they likewise cook and eat the leaves.[3]
In South Africa, the very ripe and hand-selected fruit (nastergal in Afrikaans and umsobo in Zulu) is cooked into a beautiful but quite runny purple jam[4].
In Greece the leaves are one of the ingredients included in the salad of boiled greens known as horta.
In Indonesia, the young fruit is eaten raw as part of a traditional salad 'lalapan' or cooked with oncom and chillies.
[edit]Medicinal usage

The plant has a long history of medicinal usage, dating back to ancient Greece. This plant is also known as Peddakasha pandla koora in Telangana region. This plant's leaves are used to treat mouth ulcers that happen during winter periods of Tamil Nadu, India. Chinese experiments confirm that the plant inhibits growth of cervical carcinoma (Fitoterapia, 79, 2008, № 7-8, 548-556).


Black nightshade flowers
S. nigrum is a widely used plant in oriental medicine. It is is antitumorigenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, diuretic, and antipyretic.[5]
[edit]References

Time: 3rd November 2011 8:55am

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