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Image Credit: Anna Povey – with permission
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Image Credit: Anna Povey – with permission
Scientific Name: Solanum laciniatum
Common Name: kangaroo apple
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Solanaceae
Form Description: Shrub, erect (appears herbaceous when small). Long, narrow leaves to 25cm.
Flowers: Long-stalked bluish purple flowers 5cm across, petals joined.
Fruit: Berry – fleshy, egg-shaped, 3cm long, orange-yellow when ripe. Seed 2mm.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Common in damp, shaded places.
Site Tolerance
Moist, Shady
Soil Tolerance
Fertile, Loam, Poorly-drained, Well-drained
General Notes
Colonises disturbed sites, relatively short lived (4-7 years). Bird attracting. Spread by birds.
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Pick fruit individually or knock onto groundsheets.
Seed Treatment Method
Leaching Some species require extended time in nature weathering prior to germination as chemical inhibitors are broken down in the seed coat. Replicate this process by flushing away the inhibitor with frequent washing e.g. place the seeds in a stocking in a toilet cistern and drape it over the top for easy handling.
Seed Storage Life
Several years at 3°C
Seed Treatment Notes
Use fresh seed, wash before sowing. Seed short-lived if not cold stored.
Germination Time
3-6 weeks