Solanum pyracanthum Pocupine Tomato

Solanum pyracanthos, also known as the Porcupine Tomato, is an evergreen shrub native to tropical Madagascar and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It is a member of the genus Solanum, a diverse and cosmopolitan family of plants with over 1,500 members including the tomato, potato and nightshades. S. pyracanthos is perhaps most distinguished by a profusion of strong, straight fluorescent orange thorns which occupy the stems and leaves of the plant, giving it a foreboding appearance. The prickles are consistent throughout the plant, developing clearly from furry trichomes which coat the plant's leaves and stems. The pinnately lobed leaves are 6 – 21 cm long and the plant blooms year round with clusters of small star shaped violet inflorescence followed by marble sized greenish-yellow fruit. The fruit is inedible.