Nicandra

Poison Berry ( Nicandra physaloides )

The poison berry ( Nicandra physalodes, also Nicandra physaloides ) is a native to South America plant from the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). It is the only species of the monotypic genus Nicandra.

Description

The poison berry is a upright, 0.5 to 1.5 m, rarely 2 m tall plant. The leaves are membranous, narrowly to broadly ovate, irregularly curved or have a wavy lobed edge and (4) 10 to 21 ( 31) cm long and (2) 5-10 ( 20) cm wide. The leaf base is wedge-shaped to pointed, narrowly winged petioles and 1.5 to 9 cm long.

The fertilized by bees, radial symmetry, five petals are individually, initially upright, later, nodding. The fused together in the half of its length sepals are 9-22 mm long. The petals are colored to pale blue at the edge and the upper corolla tube between pale pink- purple and have also colored spots at the base of each Kronblattes. The crown is about 20 to 30 mm long and has a diameter of about 27 mm. The anthers are 4 to 4.5 mm long and with a few simple and short trichomes occupied. The five stamens are occupied at the base with long, simple trichomes on the surface change are short trichomes to find. The pollen size is with 35 to 38 microns in the mid- size range. The 3-5 mm long stylus is busy with some multicellular trichomes. The scar is long in approximately 1.5 mm. The flowering period extends from July to October.

The upright fruits form on the elongating flower stems. The widening calyx closes lantern -like around the forming fruit is parchment -like and has a clearly visible net-like venation on. The berries have a diameter of 10 to 15 mm and contain brownish- yellow, 1.5 to 2 mm long, flat kidney-shaped seeds with fine indentations. The embryo is rolled, the cotyledons are shorter than the remainder of the embryo.

Chromosome number

The chromosome number is diploid and tetraploid chromosome where records were found. In addition, there were also some chromosome counts with and.

Origin

The origin of the poison berry are the Andes of South America, where they can be found from Peru to northern Argentina. Through the use of the plant as an ornamental plant, it is now often also reintroduced to find in other areas, among others on the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the U.S., India, Mozambique, Australia and Germany.

Toxicity

The poison berry is poisonous in all parts, but especially in the roots.

In the roots of the plant to various alkaloids accumulate, the main alkaloids are Hygrin and tropinone. Also included in the plant are diverse withanolides of which, among other things Nicandrenone is known for a cytotoxic effect.

Use

The poison berry is rarely used to scattered as an ornamental plant in summer discounts and summer flower beds. It is in culture since the 18th century. There are some varieties that have pure white flowers in part.