Scientific name: Solanum virginianum L.
Family: Solanaceae
Synonym: Solanum surattense Burm.f.; Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad.
Vernacular name in Malayalam: Kandakarichunda
Habit: Perennial, erect or spreading herb, 50–70 cm tall, with stout, needlelike prickles on stems and leaves.
Habitat: Commonly found in scrub forests, roadsides, and wastelands.
Distribution: Native to India and Sri Lanka; widely distributed in tropical Asia, Africa, and parts of Oceania.
Flowering and Fruiting: Flowers from November to May; produces blue-purple, stellate flowers; fruits are pale yellow berries, 1.3–2.2 cm in diameter.
Key identification features: Stout, needlelike prickles on stems and leaves; ovate-oblong, lobed leaves; blue-purple flowers; pale yellow berries.
Uses: Traditionally used in folk medicine for treating fever, skin diseases, and as an anti-inflammatory; fruit contains solasodine, used in steroid synthesis.
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