Distribution. The primary means of dispersal of tropical soda apple in the United States is livestock and wildlife, such as
raccoons
, deer, feral hogs, and birds. The first known collection of tropical soda apple in the United States was from Glades County, Florida, in 1988.
Is tropical soda apple toxic?
The plant is a host for many diseases and pests of cultivated crops, and it contains
solasodine which is poisonous to humans
. Tropical soda apple is spread when cattle eat the fruit or the fruit float and move in water.
Why are tropical soda apples bad?
Prickles on the plants create a physical barrier to animals, preventing them from passing through the infested area. Tropical soda apple also
interferes with restoration efforts in Florida
by invading tracts of land that are reclaimed following phosphate-mining operations (Albin, 1994).
How do you kill tropical soda apple?
More mature or dense infestations may be controlled with the use of herbicides containing aminopyralid.
Milestone VM at 7 fluid ounces per acre
is an effective method for killing tropical soda apple weed in pastures, vegetable and sod fields, ditches, and roadsides.
Which insect causes severe leaf defoliation of tropical soda apple?
boliviana's release reported extensive (20-100%) defoliation on tropical soda apple by
the beetle
[58]. One review reported that this beetle chews holes in the upper leaves of tropical soda apple, substantially reducing the weed's survival [25].
Is Tropical soda apple edible?
Tropical soda apple is an invasive exotic from South America. It is in the nightshade family and unlike its more popular cousins, the eggplant, potato and tomato,
it is not edible.
What does tropical soda apple look like?
Tropical soda apple flower petals (left) curve backward while horsenettle flower petals (right) do not. Immature fruit of tropical soda apple (left) are green and white, and have a
mottled appearance
. When the fruits become mature, they are a bright yellow in color (right).
Where is the tropical soda apple found?
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION: Tropical soda apple is native to
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina
[70,75]. It has been introduced in the southeastern United States, Africa, India, Nepal [70,75], and parts of tropical Asia [5].
Where did the tropical soda apple invade?
After establishment was confirmed in Florida, tropical soda apple quickly spread to
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico
(Bryson et al., 1995; Akanda et al., 1996; Westbrooks and Eplee, 1996; Mullahey et al., 1998).
When was the tropical soda apple introduced?
In
1985
Tropical soda apple was accidentally introduced into Florida from Brazil by cattle carrying undigested seeds in their intestinal tracts.
What does the tropical soda apple do?
It
invades natural forests
and dominates the understory layer. The dense growth chokes out and prohibits growth of native plant species. Tropical soda apple competes with vegetable crops, as it serves as an alternate host for a variety of pathogens that are diseases of eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and others.
Can you eat Solanum Viarum?
It is a dangerous family and best avoided. The easy answer is the
Red Soda Apple is not edible
. … The Tropical Soda Apple, Solanum viarum, is similar to the Red Soda Apple except its fruit turns bright yellow when ripe. And if I remember correctly the riper the fruit gets the more toxic it gets.
Which soda apple species is native to Florida and is mistaken for tropical soda apple?
Solanum tampicense
may be confused with Solanum viarum which is known as tropical soda apple and is also an invasive species in the state of Florida. Solanum tampicense is distinguished from Solanum viarum by its longer leaves and curved prickles located on the leaves and stems.
Why is cogongrass considered invasive?
Cogongrass not only replaces native plants, on which wildlife feed, it also has
very high silica content
, and therefore is unpalatable to native wildlife. The leaves are very stiff and can cut the mouths and damage the teeth of wildlife that attempt to ingest it.
What is the biggest threat of cogongrass?
Fire
, in fact, actually makes cogongrass a bigger threat to habitat by making easier for cogongrass to invade a forest, so this plant is one that landowners should not burn but eradicate with herbicides.
What animal eats Cogon grass?
In Mediterranean islands such as Lemnos, where Imperata cylindrica is the main grass in phryganic areas, this grass is frequently consumed by
wild rabbits
(Oryctolagus cuniculus) during winter.
