Solanum pseudocapsicum L. (S-Am.) – A very rare but increasing escape from cultivation. First seen in the city of Ghent in 2015 when a single individual was found in cracks of concrete on pavement. Since then also recorded in Brussels (2016) and in Mechelen and Oostende (2017). Similar records from urban areas are also known from the Netherlands (Denters 2007; see also: http://waarneming.nl/soort/view/23715). In the British Isles this species is known since many years as such and part of the records has been associated with commercial bird seed mixtures (Hanson & Mason 1985, Clement & Foster 1994).
Solanum pseudocapsicum is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant (in Belgium probably only indoors) and is starting to escape in recent times, especially in urban areas. Although believed to be not fully hardy here, it seems to persist well in climatologically suitable places, for instance in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Solanum pseudocapsicum is a variable species and is sometimes considered a complex group rather than a single species (e.g. Clement & Foster 1994). The plant found in Ghent is characterized by being persistently hairy with all hairs dendritic, short anthers ca. 2 mm long and flowers solitary or geminate. These features correspond with var. diflorum (Vellozo) Bitter [syn.: S. diflorum Vellozo, S. pseudocapsicum subsp. diflorum (Vellozo) Hassler, S. capsicastrum Link ex Schauer] (e.g. Shaw 2000). The same type of plants is predominant in the Netherlands and the British Isles (Clement & Foster), while in France there seems to be a continuum of forms between var. pseudocapsicum (glabrous plants with anthers ca. 2,5-3,3 mm long and 2-4 flowers) and var. diflorum (Tison & de Foucault 2014). While Nee (1993) still accepted both as distinct species, there seems to be general agreement now that they are best considered conspecific (e.g. Mentz & de Oliveira 2004).
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Selected literature:
Clement E.J. & Foster M.C. (1994) Alien plants of the British Isles. BSBI, London: XVIII + 590 p.
Denters T. (2007) Bijzondere plantenvondsten in de regio Amsterdam 2006. Nieuwsbrief FLORON-Groot Amsterdam 38: 2-28. [available online at: http://www.frontlinie.nl/floron/nieuwsbrief/nieuwsbrief_mrt07.pdf]
Hanson C.G. & Mason J.L. (1985) Bird seed aliens in Britain. Watsonia 15: 237-252. [available online at: http://www.archive.bsbi.org.uk/Wats15p237.pdf]
Mentz L.A. & Luiz de Oliveira P. (2004) Solanum (Solanaceae) na região Sul do Brasil. Pesquisas, Botânica 54: 327 p.
Nee M. (1993) Solanaceae II. Flora de Veracruz 72: 1-158. [available online at: http://www1.inecol.edu.mx/publicaciones/resumeness/FLOVER/72-Nee_I.pdf and http://www1.inecol.edu.mx/publicaciones/resumeness/FLOVER/72-Nee_II.pdf]
Shaw J.M.H. (2000) Solanum. In: Cullen J. & al. (eds.), The European Garden Flora, vol. 6. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 233-240.
Tison J.-M. & de Foucault B. (coord.) 2014) Flora Gallica. Flore de France. Editions Biotope, Mèze : xx + 1196 p.