SimplePlant

Solanaceae

Cockroach berry

Solanum capsicoides All.

Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum

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Cockroach berry: Flowers and immature fruit of the Cockroach Berry on a very thorny, zig-zag stem. Known in Brazil as Arrebenta Cavalo (tears horses).
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (6)
Chinese
刺茄, 牛茄子, 喀西茄, 牛茄子*(剌茄）, 金银茄, 颠茄
English
Cockroach berry
Kinyarwanda
Igitoborwa
pwn
Ljasaras
Swedish
Guldbärsskatta
Tongan
Polohauaiʻi

Synonyms

  • Solanum aculeatissimum var. denudatum Dunal
  • Solanum arrebenta Vell.
  • Solanum bodinieri H.Lév. & Vaniot
  • Solanum ciliare Willd.
  • Solanum ciliatum Lam.
  • Solanum ciliatum var. arenarium Dunal
  • Solanum ciliatum var. multiflorum Dunal
  • Solanum exarmatum Anil, Maya, Soumya & K.Murugan
  • Solanum macowanii Fourc.
  • Solanum pentapetaloides Roxb.
  • Solanum pentapetaloides Roxb. ex Hornem.
  • Solanum pentapetalum Schltdl.
  • Solanum sinuatifolium Vell.
  • Solanum sphaerocarpum Moric.
  • Solanum ungens Weinm.
  • Solanum xanthocarpum var. geoffrayi Bonati

Characteristics

Growth habit
Subshrub
Lifespan
Annual, Perennial
In the US and Canada
Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Photos

More in Solanum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.