Solanum paniculatum aka Susumber

Solanum paniculatum is known as jurubeba. It belongs to Solanaceae, the nightshade family. This shrub grows in Brazil and nearby South American countries. Kew gives its native range as eastern Bolivia to Brazil. Other accounts list Argentina and Paraguay as part of its range. It grows in woods where the ground has been disturbed. It also grows in scrub, dunes, and along roads. Other sites include rocky ground and disturbed cerrado grasslands.

The shrub grows about 3–8 feet (1–2.5 m) tall. Some plants form small trees up to 11.5 feet (3.5 m). One garden account gives a spread of 6.6 feet (2 m). It grows fast and forms woody stems. Some stems have a few prickles, 3–9 mm long. The sources say little about leaf shape or bark. They show fruit that is not yet ripe. They also show ripening fruit but do not describe its traits.

Flowers can be violet, lavender, white, or near-white. Plants For A Future says it blooms all year. It lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12 for this species. The shrub grows in full sun or light shade. It prefers moist soil that drains well. It grows in sand, loam, and clay, even poor soil. The soil can be slightly acid or slightly alkaline. It can also be neutral. The accounts name seed as the way to raise new plants.

Its wide range of growing sites helps explain its weedy nature. Both garden accounts warn it may spread beyond planted sites. They suggest it could take hold elsewhere once brought there. This warning does not prove it invades all places. Flowers all year may add interest to warm gardens. Still, its chance of spread matters when choosing a site. The accounts name no specific pests or diseases.

Jurubeba has a long history of use as medicine in Brazil. Uses focus on digestion, liver disorders, and anaemia. Useful Tropical Plants lists it in the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. It also notes that commercial medicines use the root. Roots, stems, and leaves have several groups of active compounds. These groups include alkaloids and steroids, plus saponins and glycosides. Use as medicine does not make it safe to eat. Plants For A Future lists no known use as food. It warns that swallowing any part can cause poisoning. These records do not support home treatment or food use.