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Introduced from South America
In July of 1997 an unknown 
plant
was collected
in Houston and sent to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service for identification.
The plant had 
floral characteristics typical of the family 
SOLANACEAE and has been positively identified as Lycianthes asarifolia
Lycianthes is a genus of 150 to 200 species native to Central and South America.
Most species are found in tropical America with a dozen or so in Asia and the South Pacific.
This plant appears to be tolerant of Houston's winter weather and 
suffers only partial dieback during the hottest summer days.
Should this plant become established in nearby Memorial Park 
(a large, wooded area),
it could be nearly impossible to eradicate.
We believe this plant could become a noxious weed in southern Texas and encourage identification, documentation, and destruction of any new colonies subsequently discovered.
Site Visit
A visit to the 
collection site
revealed that this plant has overrun several residential yards in Houston, forming a dense, attractive ground cover in shaded areas.
This plant is highly competitive in St. Augustine lawns under Houston environmental conditions.
This plant prefers areas with a lot of 
shade, an organic rich soil and plenty of water.
We visited over 50 sites where the plant was growing and of these only one was in a sunny location.
Seeds are slow to germinate.
The germination rate was very low (around 16%).
The cotyledons looked like many other seedlings in the Solanaceae Family.
It is apparently reproducing both vegetatively and sexually since numerous flowers and immature fruit were seen in early December.
We suspected that seeds and plant parts are being carried from yard to yard on the equipment of landscape maintenance companies and through drainage ditches along the edge on the road.
This species has not previously been reported as being in Texas but has been found in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. No fruit were observed in the Louisiana population.
The exact time and point of introduction is not known, but the population has been in existence for three or more years.
Residents' attempts to control the plant by hand-pulling, mowing, herbicide application, and removal of infested sod have proven unsuccessful.
PLANT DESCRIPTION
The genus Lycianthes can be distinguished from Solanum by having a 
10-nerved rather than 5-nerved calyx.
This species has a prostrate, trailing growth habit with stolons that root and produce leaves at every node.
Stonons 
produce a mat near the surface of the soil and do not appear to maintain structures that become buried.
In general the leaves appear alternate on the stem but opposite pairs may be seen.
The leaves are relatively large(often > 4 inches)when growing undistuurbed.
Mowing 
will cause internodes to shorten and leaf size to decrease.
The leaves on most of the Houston plants have rounded tips, a heart shaped base and a smooth leaf edge. When leaves are not fully expanded, the tips may be 
pointed. The petioles are long (7-20 cm).
The flowers are white and 1/2 to 3/4 inch broad.
Flowers are solitary at the nodes, nodding on erect peduncles a little shorter than the petioles.
The yellow anthers open by a pore at the apex converge around the style which is longer than the anthers.
The fruit is a reddish-orange 
berry 1/2 inch in diameter.
The 10 nerved calyx remains attached to the fruit.
The fruit is eaten fresh or made into preserves in its native habitat.
The leaves may also be edible.
Synonyms for Lycianthes asarifolia include Lycianthes repens, Solanum asarifolia, Solanum chodatianum, and Solanum violaefolium. Some common names for this plant include motojo-bobo, childa, huevo de sapo, nicua, ajicillo, and barba de tigre.
sketch
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If you think you have this plant please contact:
Texas Agricultural Extension Service
Agricultural & Environmental Safety
Mary L. Ketchersid
Extension Associate
Pesticide Safety Education
115 Agronomy Field Lab
College Station, Texas 77843-2488
phone 409-845-6531
FAX 409-845-6251
e-mail m-ketchersid@tamu.edu
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The Texas A&M University
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Noxious Weeds, and Exotic and Invasive Plant Management Resources
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Agricultural Extension Service or the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station is implied.
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