Solanum pyracanthum Jacq.
Porcupine tomato, devil’s thorn
The porcupine tomato is a native of Madagascar. They are not found in the wild in North America. It reminds me a little of a killer dandelion.
Plants: Shrubs are 1½–2′ (45–60 cm) high. They look really weird. It is doubtful that this plant can be mistaken for any other.
Leaves: The leaves resemble those of dandelions, except that they are blue-green, with dark orange to deep red venation, and stems and leaves are festooned with deadly-looking orange prickles.
Flowers: Purple star-shaped flowers with five points and yellow centers are about ¾″ (1.9 cm) across.
Fruits: Spherical yellow berries in groups of 2-5 are ⅜–7/16″ (1–1.2 cm) in diameter, on stalks ½–¾″ (1.4–2 cm) long. Even the fruit has thorns! Each berry contains 20-30 seeds, each ~1/16″ (1.9–2.8 mm) long, dull yellow to orange brown.
Habitats: Dry scrub and roadsides, at up to 500′ (152 m) elevation.
Online References:
7/4/2009 · MacDonald-Zachos’, Milford, Pennsylvania · ≈ 2 × 1′ (59 × 39 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Solanales | Potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, petunias, sweet potatoes, morning glories, many others |
| Family | Solanaceae | Nightshade or potato family |
| Genus | Solanum | “Quieting,” for the narcotic effect of some species |
| Species | pyracanthum | From the Greek pyr (πῦρ), “fire,” and akantha (ἄκανθα), “thorn.” The name refers to the plant‘s bright orange thorns |
Solanum pyracanthum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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