Poison berry (Solanum anguivi)

Solanum anguivi Lam. 

Belongs to family Solanaceae and genus Solanum. This plant is also known as Solanum indicum var. lividum (Link) Bitter, Solanum indicum var. maroanum Bitter and Solanum lividum Link. It contains a variety of phytochemicals such as Anguivioside XV, Anguivioside A, Anguivioside B, Anguivioside C,
Anguivioside III,  Anguivioside XI, Anguivioside XVI. Ethanolic extact of Solanum anguivi is antibacterial against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Floral Description:

According to Flora of Pakistan:

A prickly undershrub, 1.5-2 m tall, with dense stellate-tomentose parts. Prickles up to 10 mm long, erect to slightly recurved. Leaves 4-15 x 3.5-9 cm, ovate to oblong-ovate, repand, acute, both surfaces stellately hairy and prickly on the nerves. Petiole up to 2.5 cm long. Flowers 4-15 in number, bluish-purple, in extra-axillary cymes. Calyx ± 4 mm long, campanulate, stellately hairy. Corolla limb 18-20 mm broad; lobes acute. Anthers 6-7 mm long; filaments glabrous. Ovary and style pilose-pubescent. Berry globose, (5-)8-10 mm broad, glabrescent, yellow. Seeds ± 3 mm long, subreniform, minutely reticulate, foveolate.

According to Flora of China

Herbs annual, erect, 25-100 cm, pubescent with simple hairs, unarmed. Stems often angular, sparsely pubescent. Petiole 2-5 cm; leaf blade ovate, 4-10 × 3-7 cm, pubescent or glabrescent, base cuneate, decurrent, entire or coarsely dentate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences extra-axillary umbels; peduncle 2-4 cm. Pedicel 0.8-1.2 cm. Calyx cup-shaped, 2-3 × 2-3 mm; lobes subdeltate, 0.5-1 × 1-1.5 mm, pubescent abaxially, ciliate. Corolla white, 8-10 mm; lobes ovate-oblong, 4-5 × 3-3.5 mm, pubescent abaxially, ciliate, spreading. Filaments 1-1.5 mm; anthers oblong, 2.5-3.5 mm. Style 5-6 mm. Fruiting pedicel strongly deflexed; fruiting calyx applied to berry. Berry dull black, globose, 8-10 mm in diam. Seeds discoid.

Medicinal Uses:

1. Plant used to treat cough, asthma, fever, dysuria, worms, nervous complaints and skin diseases. 
2. Fruits chewed as a remedy for coughs, chest pains and against high blood pressure; fruits ground with pepper applied on head to cure fever and cold.
3. Dry pericarp of Garcinia cowa made into a paste with fruits of Solanum indicum given in stomachache.
4. Powdered dried fruit given to expel worms.
5. Smoke of burning fruit used to alleviate toothache.
6. An infusion of fruit used for cough; ripe fruit squeexed and applied on the forehead as a remedy for headache. 
7. Fresh leaves extract applied on persisting wounds.
8. Leaf paste taken against intestinal worms, and also applied on scabies. 
9. Root carminative, expectorant, febrifuge, analgesic, to treat toothache, asthma, cough, colic.
10. A juice of Miliusa roxburghiana roots with roots of Solanum indicum given in muscular problems.
11. A decoction of fruits of Emblica officinalis with roots of Solanum indicum and stems of Cuscuta reflexa given in influenza; 
12. decoction of the roots of Desmodium caudatum with the roots of Solanum indicum and Solanum surattense given in respiratory troubles.
13. A decoction of rhizome of Curcuma aromatica with roots of Solanum indicum, Solanum surattense and leaves of Clerodendrum indicum given in respiratory trouble.
14. Root powder snuffed for asthma.
15. Root bark paste applied on forehead in acute headache.
16. Bark extract given in dog bite. Veterinary medicine, fruits extract used as eye drops.

Common Names:

in English: Indian nightshade
in Congo: ngm’ngmbaku, ongmbaku
in Madagascar: angivibe, angivy, bobonga, oampohobe
in Tanzania: indula, kamdangu, kituligasa, njujui, ntunfululu, tura
in India: adavi-uchinta, adaviyuchinta, banbhanta, barhanta, bhantaki, birhatta, brahati, brhati, brihati, cerucunta,ceruvalutina, challa mulaga, chittimulaga, cittimulaga, hechau, hesau-baungai-araung, jangli wanga, kahi sunde, kantakari, karimulli, kateli badi, katheli-badhi, kedusunde, khai sunde, ksudrabrhati, laubau-hapil, mahadvyaghri, mullikkattiri, mullu habbu gulla, naimulli, nilavalutina, paal chundai, papparamulli, papramuli, peratti, perumuttirikam, pettamulam, petti, piturkkattiri, putherychunda, ramamulaka, ranvangi, santawk, simhi, sundakkai vattal, talava, tamakanti, tavanatcamaci, tellamulaka, thasu-thasu-keh, thellamulaka, titguna, tittakarutti, toni, tutpiratatcani, ubhi bhoyringani, ubhiringni, vankudu, varattalaku, vartaki, varthaki, varttaki, vrhati, vrihati
in Indonesia: terong ngor, terong pait
in Nepal: bihi, gramji