Solanum crinitum
| Solanum crinitum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. crinitum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum crinitum | |
Solanum crinitum, syn. Solanum macranthum, common name giant star potato tree, is a small tropical tree belonging to the family Solanaceae, growing to 12 m (39 ft) tall, native to the northeastern half of South America.
Its flowers continue to grow bigger even after they open, doubling in size, and eventually becoming 5 cm (2.0 in) wide. Simultaneously with this, the flowers also change color, opening purple and becoming white. It is very short-lived for a tree-sized plant, being full-grown at age four, and often dead by its fifth year. If pollinated, the flowers produce a round, orange fruit about 5 cm (2.0 in) diameter. The 5- to 7-lobed leaves are about 40 cm (16 in) long and about half as wide.