About Solanum incanum L.
Solanum incanum L. is a species of nightshade, a flowering plant that belongs to the Solanaceae plant family. It is native to East Africa, West Africa, and the Middle East, and its native range extends eastward to India. This species has been introduced to Taiwan and Vietnam. Its common names are thorn apple, bitter apple, bitterball, and bitter tomato. Where the ranges of Solanum incanum and the similar species Solanum linnaeanum overlap in Africa, Solanum incanum may be confused with S. linnaeanum. In ancient India, Solanum incanum was domesticated to produce the eggplant, Solanum melongena.
