Wolf apple

The Wolf Apple is a plant from the Nightshade family that occurs in Brazilian Savanna. The plant itself is called lobeira or fruta-do-lobo in Portuguese. The fruit is called wolf apple because it accounts for more than half of the Maned Wolf's diet.J. C. Motta-Junior, S. A.Talamoni, J. A. Lombardi, and K. Simokomaki (1996): "Diet of the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, in central Brazil". Journal of Zoology, volume 240, issue 2, pages 277–284.  Its scientific name, solanum lycocarpum, also refers to the wolf: lyco- (from Ancient Greek lykos - wolf, and carp - fruit. The plant grows as a bush or a tree up to  high. The ripe fruit is edible, while the rest of the plant is poisonous. Locals use the fruits to make jams. The fruit contains a lot of starch. Sometimes, it is also used to feed livestock.

References

Category:Medicinal plants
Category:Solanum