Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Solanum capsicoides

Poro‘iti Taratara

Spiny Necklace-berry

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Leaves, flower and fruit	68KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Spiny Necklace-berry

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Poro‘iti Taratara (RR MK)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands, gardens

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Adornment; Weed - moderate (gardens only), Poisonous spines - moderate

KEY FEATURES: Sprawling shrub to 1m. SPINES to 1cm on stem, leaf-stalks, and leaf-veins (both sides). LEAVES simple, strongly dissected (>50%) into 5-7 lobes. FLOWERS on stem, clusters 2-4; petals, 5, white, narrow-triangular, 12x5mm; anthers yellow, 7x2mm, on 2mm stalks; style white with green tip. FRUIT round, 2-3cmØ, orange-red, smooth; flesh white 5mm. SEEDS many, flat and winged; 5mmØ.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: -
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	-	+	+	-	-	-		-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Solanum capsicoides
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Solanales; SOLANACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Adornment. Comments: Whole berries threaded into garlands.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Weed - moderate (gardens only), Poisonous spines - moderate. Comments: NBSAP - Takitumu (1 of 7 weeds)

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: Utanga family, Ruatonga & Matavera, 8/2000, B.Sykes & GMcC.

References:
p.5/012 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03a, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List