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The Garden huckleberry (Solanum scabrum) belongs to Solanaceae (the Nightshade family). It is an an annual or short-lived perennial herb that is probably native to Africa, but its origin is not well understood. Nowadays, it is naturalized in many countries. In Africa it is cultivated as a leaf vegetable and for dye from the berries. This herb grows up about 1 m in height. The leaves are usually ovate, with petioles 1.5-7 cm long. The inflorescence is cymes with 9-12 flowers. The white corolla is stellate, 15-20 mm across, and sometimes tinged purple. The anthers of the stamens are brown or purple, unlike the yellow "Black nightshade" (Solanum nigrum). The berries are globular, 10-17 mm across, and ripen purple-black. Only ripe fruits can be eaten, and immature fruits, foliage, and calyxes contain solanin and are toxic. Fruits have no sweetness, have a unique odor, and are not suitable for raw food, so they are used for jams.
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