DEVIL’S FIG

Solanum torvum

LANDHOLDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROLLING THIS WEED

Contain This Weed

Description Upright shrub growing up to 3 m tall. Also known as Pea eggplant or Turkey berry. Leaves Rounded in shape and slightly lobed. Whitish undersides are covered in small star-shaped hairs. Young plants may be more deeply lobed and have small prickles on the upper surface.

Flowers White, star-shaped, 2.5 cm wide, are arranged in branched clusters on the main stalk, containing 15–100 flowers.

Fruit Round green berries, 12–17 mm wide, ripening to yellow or yellowish-green.

Stems Young stems are green or purplish, densely covered in small star-shaped hairs, and sometimes sparsely covered in prickles or thorns (3–7 mm long). Older stems become brown or greenish-brown and eventually lose their covering of hairs.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by birds eating and excreting the seed. Deliberately cultivated for food production.

Confused with Weed species Giant devil’s fig (Solanum chrysotrichum), Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) and Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum).

Control This is not a reportable weed. Manually remove where appropriate. Basal bark, cut and paint, cut scrape paint, stem inject and foliar spray with herbicide.