Solanum quitoense

Lulopflanze, 7 months old

The lulo (Solanum quitoense ), called in Spanish also naranjilla, is a South American culture plant of the genus Solanum (Solanum ) in the family Solanaceae. Lulo is derived from the Quechua, widespread mainly in Colombia designation ( sometimes also: "Lulu" ), while in Ecuador from Spanish -derived name naranjilla (from naranja, dt Orange / Orange ) will be used. The scientific name component quitoense is from Quito, Ecuador's capital city, is formed.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Lulo plants are upright or irregularly branched, woody, perennial shrubs that can reach a height of 1 to 3 m. The shoot axis is densely hairy woolly, often purple trichomes are star-shaped with six to nine rays and can be fitted almost sessile or with multicellular stalks. The longest trichomes reach 1-4 mm long, the sideways jets are 0.6 to 1.5 mm long, the upward midstream as long as or slightly shorter. There are reinforced and unreinforced forms of nature, a reinforcement is present, it consists of 1 to 3 (rarely to 5 ) mm long spines that have at the base of a width of 0.5 to 1.5 mm and are usually slightly bent.

The simple leaves are about as long as wide, the length can vary 13-50 cm and width of 11-40 cm. The leaf blade is hairy elliptic to ovate, relatively thin and tomentose. From the main veins on each side go from about five or six minor veins. The leaf base is cut or slightly cordate, the margin is coarsely serrated with five to six triangular or flattened triangular lobes, the tips of the lobes are pointed or blunt and form the ends of the minor veins. The arcs between the lobes are entire or provided with one or two narrow, tooth-like lobes. The leaf tip is pointed. The similar to the stem axis and reinforced hairy petioles are 5-15 cm long, typically between 1/4 to 1/2 the length of the leaf blades. The hair on the upper leaf surface consists of resting, star-shaped trichomes, the majority consists of a 1 to 2 mm long center beam and four to six only 0.1 to 0.4 mm short side beams. In addition, smaller seated trichomes appear, the sides and can be central beams 0.1 to 0.3 mm long. The lower leaf surface is densely covered with interwoven, seated and stalked trichomes. Especially along the main veins, the hair is colored purple. The leaves can be occupied unarmed or with spines along the main veins.

Inflorescences and flowers

The unbranched inflorescences face of the leaves, are up to 1 cm long, and consist of up to 24 flowers. The inflorescence axis is densely covered with stellate trichomes, it can be reinforced or unreinforced prickly. The flower stems are 5 to 15 mm long and do not extend in fruit ripening. They stand close together, usually 2 to 3 mm apart. The base of the flower stalk is broadened. In the outer flowers of the inflorescence only the male flower parts are often fertile.

The calyx is broadly bell-shaped, 14-20 mm long, of which the calyx tube has 5 to 8 mm in length. The width of the calyx is 8-13 mm, ovate to broadly ovate, the sepals are 7-13 mm long and 5-8 mm long. Often they are white and kronblattähnlich. The outside is hairy you woolly. At the fruit of the cup is slightly enlarged, but not enclosing the fruit. White, star-shaped, radiärsymmetrische crown has a diameter of 3 to 5 ( often up to seven ) inches, and is 20 to 25 mm long. The corolla tube is 4-6 mm long. The Kronlappen have a size of 10 to 15 × 5-7 mm, they are ovate to lanceolate, spreading, pointed, and occupied on the outside tightly with star-shaped trichomes, on the inside they are hairy hairless or only weakly. Stamens have only short, a maximum of 1 mm long filaments, however, the yellow dust bag 7 to 15 mm long and the base 2 to 3.5 mm wide. They are lanceolate, acuminate, the tips are more or less inclined or apart. They open by narrow pores at the tips pointing outward. The ovary is densely hairy; cylindrical, straight, hairless pen is about 10 mm long and 0.5 to 1 mm wide; the scar is little head -shaped.

Fruit and seeds

The inflorescence arise between one and four round, 3 to 6.5 cm large berries that are orange when ripe and have a greenish flesh. First, the fruits are covered with star-shaped, seated trichomes, the center beam can be 3.5 to 4.5 mm long and their five to 15 side beams are about 0.2 mm long. However, most of the hair is lost to fruit maturity.

In the fruit there is a variety of yellowish or light tan-colored seeds. These have a size of from 2.5 to 4 × 2.5 to 4 mm are flattened and lenticular wide oval. The seed surface is finely granular.

Dissemination

The Lulo is grown in the Andes in Ecuador and Colombia, between about 1,000 and 2,400 m altitude. A wild-type is not known.

Use

In Colombia and Ecuador Lulos be diluted with water or milk processed into juice or used in other beverages. In Europe, the fruits are hardly available because the very rapid maturation makes it difficult to transport. In Central Europe the Lulo is sometimes considered as an ornamental plant.

System

The species is a representative of the subgenus Leptostemonum the genus Solanum (Solanum ). Within this subgenus it is classified in the monophyletic group Lasiocarpa. Closely related species are, among others:

• Solanum candidum
• Solanum hyporhodium
• Solanum lasiocarpum
• Solanum felinum
• Solanum pseudolulo
• Solanum repandum
• Solanum vestissimum