Lycianthes rantonnei (Carrière.) Bitter

Blue Potato Bush

Shrub to 2 m tall. Leaves 4-10 cm long, 2-6 cm wide, the tip mostly long-pointed. Flowers mostly 3-5 together, with the corolla 1-1.5 cm long. Fruits 2-2.5 cm wide. 

No matter what the genus, the epithet has for many years been incorrectly spelt rantonnetii. [Solanum rantonnetii Carr., S. rantonnei Carr.]

Argentina to Paraguay

There is some doubt about the identity of plants cultivated in Australia under this name.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Solanaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Distribution map

Lycianthes rantonnei 'Royal Robe'

Long-flowering, the blue-violet flowers fragrant and with strong yellow centres.

kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Asteranae
order      Solanales
family       Solanaceae
genus        Lycianthes Hassl.