Solanum muricatum
Common name
pepino
Family
Solanaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Year naturalised
1989
Origin
Tropical Andes; possibly arose in cultivation in Peru
Etymology
solanum: Derivation uncertain - possibly from the Latin word sol, meaning “sun,” referring to its status as a plant of the sun. Another possibility is that the root was solare, meaning “to soothe,” or solamen, meaning “a comfort,” which would refer to the soothing effects of the plant upon ingestion.
muricatum: Furnished with numerous short hard excrescences