tropical soda apple

Plants: Shrub or Subshrub
Magnoliopsida > Solanales > Solanaceae > Solanum viarum Dunal
Tropical soda apple is a perennial, shrubby forb that is on the Federal Noxious Weed list. Plants grow to 6 ft. (1.8 m) in height and width. Leaves are broad, 6-8 in. (15-20 cm) long, 2-6 in. (5.1-15.2 cm) wide, hairy and resemble fig or oak leaves. The entire plant is armed with ¾ in. (1.9 cm) long, straight prickles. Flowering occurs year-round, with most reproduction occurring from September to May. White, 5-petaled flowers develop, in clusters, below the leaves. Fruit are 1 in. (2.5 cm) in diameter and resemble a watermelon (a mottled mix of whitish and dark greens). Tropical soda apple primarily invades pastures, fields, and parks, but also has the potential to invade open forest and other natural areas. Tropical soda apple forms thick stands that can be impenetrable to livestock, large wildlife, and humans. Tropical soda apple is native to South America and was introduced accidentally into Florida in the 1980s.

154 records

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Image Descriptor Description Photographer
0002149 Biological Control Burch Wet Blade Mower used for applying the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (E. F. Smith) Yabuuchi to tropical soda apple Raghavan Charudattan
0002150 Biological Control wilted plant exhibiting disease symptoms of the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (E. F. Smith) Yabuuchi Raghavan Charudattan
0002151 Biological Control field plots showing control 2 months post treatment in 1998. The bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (E. F. Smith) Yabuuchi was applied using the Burch Wet Blade Mower to plots on left side that were previously infested with tropical soda apple. Raghavan Charudattan
4387065 Competition

Competing with palmetto and other weeds where manure had been spread in field behind slaughter house in Alma, Georgia (Bacon County)

Arthur E. Miller
4387078 Competition

competing with other weeds in Bacon County, Georgia

Arthur E. Miller
4387074 Control

Lemuel Screws farm, Newton, Baker County, Georgia site where TSA first reported. Spots where cattleman had used Roundup in pasture to kill TSA

Arthur E. Miller
4387075 Control

Newton, Ga.; Lemuel Screws burn pit -he had carried TSA plants to pit (deep/straight sides) across road from house. No TSA was ever found growing near the pit.

Arthur E. Miller
4387076 Control

Bacon County, Georgia field at Lee Meats. Plants sprayed by Dr. Clyde Dowler using Grazon P&D during field testing in a field north of the slaughter house. In foreground is manure, spread in field.

Arthur E. Miller
4387086 Control

PPQ officier Derrick McNeal using brush hook. No herbicide was used on the dairy farm by PPQ in Appling County, Georgia

Arthur E. Miller
1299002 Control

in hammock, mowed and unmowed

J. Jeffrey Mullahey
1791072 Control hand pulled plants in pit ready for burning. G. Keith Douce
1791073 Control Hand pulled plants in pit ready for burning. G. Keith Douce
1791082 Control Hand pulled plants in pit ready to be burned G. Keith Douce
1791083 Control Hand pulled plants in pit ready to be burned G. Keith Douce
1115019 Diagram or Graphic Unpalatable to cattle Charles T. Bryson
4387080 Dispersal

Manager of Fla. Seed and Feed store reported an unusual plant (TSA) growing from broken bags of Black Kow cow manure, 1994. Plant displayed at TSATF meeting in Ocala FL by Randy Westbrooks and Art Miller.

Arthur E. Miller
2721005 Distribution Georgia County-level map G. Keith Douce
2721006 Distribution Georgia County-level map from the National Agricultural Pest Survey Information System (NAPIS) G. Keith Douce
2721007 Distribution Southeastern US map from data in the National Agricultural Pest Survey Program (NAPIS) G. Keith Douce
0002153 Distribution distribution in the United States. Infested region indicated in yellow. Flora MacColl
4387077 Equipment

manure being spread in field at Lee Meats

Arthur E. Miller
4054001 Feature(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
5376824 Feature(s)

surface of seed

Julia Scher
5376825 Feature(s)

Hilum of seed

Julia Scher
0016192 Feature(s) prickles and thorns in June John W. Everest
0016193 Feature(s) fruit in November John W. Everest
1115020 Feature(s) Flower, Fruit, Stem, and Foliage Charles T. Bryson
1115024 Feature(s) Fruit and flower Charles T. Bryson
1115025 Feature(s) Fruit, flowers, and foliage Charles T. Bryson
1115027 Feature(s) Root system Charles T. Bryson
1115035 Feature(s) Chlorosis - Suck fly damage Charles T. Bryson
5403103 Feature(s)

flowers and spines

Rebekah D. Wallace
5403099 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5403100 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5290023 Flower(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
2132028 Flower(s) James H. Miller
2254059 Flower(s) flowers Charles T. Bryson
4387068 Flower(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
2734096 Foliage small plant under shade of oak trees in pasture G. Keith Douce
2734097 Foliage small plant showing prickles G. Keith Douce
2308095 Foliage James Rollins
5403101 Foliage Rebekah D. Wallace
5403102 Foliage Rebekah D. Wallace
5290027 Foliage Jeffrey W. Lotz
5290028 Foliage

foliar spines

Jeffrey W. Lotz
5290031 Foliage Division of Plant Industry Archive
1115034 Foliage Charles T. Bryson
1149072 Foliage USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149073 Foliage USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1115037 Foliage Charles T. Bryson
1673056 Foliage closeup showing prickles Clyde Dowler
1791074 Foliage Close-up G. Keith Douce
1791068 Foliage Small plant under tree canopy next to fallen log G. Keith Douce
1791069 Foliage Close-up lateral view of a small pulled plant. G. Keith Douce
1791070 Foliage G. Keith Douce
5403104 Foliage Rebekah D. Wallace
5403105 Foliage Rebekah D. Wallace
1791071 Fruit(s) Mature and near-mature fruit from plants in burn pit. G. Keith Douce
1149071 Fruit(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1624037 Fruit(s) Thorny nightshade from Argentina, first appeared in the United States in pastures and rangelands in Glades County, Florida, in 1988. Mottled green fruits that look like small watermelons are a distinguising feature of the plant. J. Jeffrey Mullahey
1791075 Fruit(s) Mature fruit. Note yellow coloration G. Keith Douce
1791081 Fruit(s) various stages of fruit on plant G. Keith Douce
1149069 Fruit(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149076 Fruit(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149063 Fruit(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1115030 Fruit(s) Charles T. Bryson
1149074 Fruit(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1115028 Fruit(s) Immature fruit and foliage Charles T. Bryson
1115026 Fruit(s) Mature fruit Charles T. Bryson
5290032 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5294047 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290029 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5384223 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290024 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290025 Fruit(s) Jeffrey W. Lotz
5290026 Fruit(s) Jeffrey W. Lotz
5290021 Fruit(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
1791085 Fruit(s) Mature fruit. Note yellow coloration G. Keith Douce
2254066 Fruit(s) Charles T. Bryson
2254067 Fruit(s) fruit Charles T. Bryson
2254056 Fruit(s) Charles T. Bryson
4054003 Fruit(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054004 Fruit(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054005 Fruit(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054008 Fruit(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4387079 Fruit(s)

after frost, green and yellow fruit were mostly intact

Arthur E. Miller
4387070 Fruit(s) cut TSA fruit on shovel Alma, Georgia Clyde Dowler
5290017 Infestation Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290018 Infestation Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290030 Infestation Division of Plant Industry Archive
1115021 Infestation Several plants in a pasture along with cattle Charles T. Bryson
1115022 Infestation In a pasture along with cattle Charles T. Bryson
1115023 Infestation In a field along with cattle Charles T. Bryson
1149068 Infestation Spread from manure from slaughter house USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1115036 Infestation Charles T. Bryson
1299001 Infestation

September, 1994.; on Florida roadside

Randy Westbrooks
1461073 Infestation In a forest Amy Ferriter
1624038 Infestation Grows well in sun and shade and is invading tree hammocks where it prevents cattle from seeking refuge from the sun in southern pastures. J. Jeffrey Mullahey
0002134 pasture infested J. Jeffrey Mullahey
0002137 juvenile plant J. Jeffrey Mullahey
0002138 typical flower J. Jeffrey Mullahey
0002139 mature fruits J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4387073 People

Lanier Jordon, County Extension Director, Newton, Georgia (Baker County) "You couldn't invent a worse weed" Lemuel Screws' farm -site where TSA first found and reported in Georgia

Arthur E. Miller
1115018 Plant(s) In a pasture Charles T. Bryson
1149075 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1115031 Plant(s) In a pasture with cattle Charles T. Bryson
1149064 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149065 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149066 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1149067 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1673055 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
1624036 Plant(s)

Thorny nightshade from Argentina, first appeared in the United States in pastures and rangelands in Glades County, Florida, in 1988. Mottled green fruits that look like small watermelons are a distinguising feature of the plant.  This picture is of an infested dairy farm pasture in Appling County, GA

Arthur E. Miller
1673058 Plant(s) Clyde Dowler
1791084 Plant(s) Close-up of leaves showing prickles G. Keith Douce
1499051 Plant(s) Tony Pernas
1539115 Plant(s) James H. Miller
1391385 Plant(s) John D. Byrd
1391386 Plant(s) John D. Byrd
1391387 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
1391388 Plant(s) John D. Byrd
1149070 Plant(s) USDA APHIS PPQ Archive
1299123 Plant(s) grows in shade Charles T. Bryson
1299167 Plant(s) growing out of a bag of manure Randy Westbrooks
1316013 Plant(s) Botanist Charles T. Bryson clips tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum) plants in field experiments. In the United States, the weed is found primarily in the Southeast. Peggy Greb
5392600 Plant(s)

More bushes

John M. Randall
5290019 Plant(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5290020 Plant(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
4387081 Plant(s)

Pete Wright Dairy Farm, near Baxley, in Appling County, Georgia near pond

Arthur E. Miller
4387082 Plant(s)

Frank Krainin, PPQ and Tim Varnedore, Extension Agent, behind large plant beyond water hole in south Georgia

Arthur E. Miller
4387083 Plant(s)

Frank Krainin, PPQ, studies plant after frost. In the spring, plant was confirmed as a herbaceous perennial, in Appling county. An early observation that TSA roots could survive the winter in Georgia.

Arthur E. Miller
4387084 Plant(s)

TSA plant after frost, or herbicide treatment which gives same appearance.TSA fruit are more available for feeding by cattle, deer and other animals.

Arthur E. Miller
4387085 Plant(s)

closer view of TSA plant,

Arthur E. Miller
4387087 Plant(s)

low growing , Appling County, Georgia. Short plants were observed on very sandy soil

Arthur E. Miller
4387088 Plant(s)

plant in back of farm pond Pete Wright Dairy Farm 1997

Arthur E. Miller
4387069 Plant(s)

Dairy farm - Appling Co. Tim Varnedore, CES Baxley & Art Miller, PPQ photo by Frank Krainin

Arthur E. Miller
4054009 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054010 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054011 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
4054012 Plant(s) J. Jeffrey Mullahey
2254064 Plant(s) root segment Charles T. Bryson
4387072 Research

PPQ approved containment facility, Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Georgia. Pot experiments testing several herbicides by Dr. Clyde Dowler

Arthur E. Miller
1115032 Research Research plot May 1996, see image# 1115033 for September 1996 Charles T. Bryson
1115033 Research Research plot September 1996, see image# 1115032 for May 1996. Charles T. Bryson
5376826 Seed(s)

longitudinal section of seed

Julia Scher
5376822 Seed(s) Julia Scher
5376823 Seed(s)

marginal view of seeds

Julia Scher
4387066 Seedling(s) Clyde Dowler
1115029 Seedling(s) Charles T. Bryson
1391157 Seedling(s) John D. Byrd
1539116 Seedling(s) James H. Miller
1539113 Seedling(s) James H. Miller
5290022 Stem(s) Division of Plant Industry Archive
5403106 Stem(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5403107 Stem(s) Rebekah D. Wallace


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