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Re: mysteries, questions and answers

On Sat, 6 Dec 1997 15:32:39 -0800, you wrote:

>	Dear Medit-Planter
>
>The second solanum you asaked about is <italic>not SOLANUM
>pyracanthum--which is a </itlic> gorgeous tender perennial from Madagascar naturalized in
>Mexico as a road side weed.  The true spp. is branchy, slender, can become several
>feet tall anmd broad aND is covered with bright orange (unhooked) straight
>spines. It blooms continuously in a hot sunny place in northern CA with small 
> purple typical solanaceous flowers and bears an edible fruit.  It is
>very tender and rarely winters over.  It also does not self sow to any
>extent so you find a source and buy a new one(s) each year.  Very impressive,
>unusual, atrractive plant.  I have grown dozens of solanaceous plants and am
>unfamiliar with either you decribe but would love seed from the big monster.
>Michael D. Barclay

Michael: Many thanks for info. Apart from the branchiness, your
description doesn't sound IMPOSSIBLY far from the plant which arrived
here as (seeds of) S. pyrenacantha and which Matt thought was S.
pyracanthum. I'd have said reddish brown spines rather than orange but
colour perception is a personal thing...! I found a tiny 3" runt of a
plant in a greenhouse corner which is on its way to Matt now. Maybe
when he's seen it/grown it on, he may be able to offer more thoughts
on its identify.

I'll happily send seed (or one of the [equally monstrous] fruit) from
the monster which claims to be S. marginatum. (I offer the 'or fruit'
alternative  because they show no sign of ripening any further, in
this climate. Maybe with you...?) 

Question is: can seed of Solanaceae be imported into US? Can FRUIT of
Solanaceae? If answer to both queries is affirmative, choose your
poison. If answer is affirmative only to first question, will send
seed if/when the darn fruit finally ripen (ie, at present rate of
progress, around the end of the millenium).

Your mention of (the real) S. pyracantha as coming from Madagascar
reminds me that I also have squidgy little plants of what claims to be
S. madagascariensis, from the same seed-source as S. pyr(en)acantha.
I can't find such a species in any of my reference books. Have you
ever come across it? What's it supposed to do? It isn't doing much of
anything, here. 

Incidentally, in case anyone else out there is insane enough to be
interested in these creatures, we here have just (30 years late, as
usual)  discovered an interesting 'popular' book on them (ie, it aims
to be entertaining and selective, rather than an exhaustive
monograph). It was published in 1969 by W.H. Freeman & Co, San
Francisco. It's called NIGHTSHADES: THE PARADOXICAL PLANTS and is
200pp long. Its author was Charles B. Heiser, who was then Professor
of Botany at Indiana U. and interested in S. American flora from the
point of view, mostly, of the economic botanist.

Best wishes

Tim (& Celia)
>
>
>

Celia Eddy
celia@eddy.u-net.com
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