Naranjilla or Lulo (Solanum quitoense) is a sub-shrubby perennial with orange fruits slightly larger than a golf ball. The greenish flesh yields a juice with a flavor that has been described as a blend of orange, pineapple, and tomato. The plant is around 2 m tall with purplish stem and leaves. Two varieties of this species have been recognized, quitoense, a spineless form found in southern Colombia and Ecuador, and septentrionale, a form with spines found in central Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica that is also grown in French Polynesia. Naranjillo is cultivated widely within its range, but also has characteristics of a "weed" and is often considered a species in the process of being domesticated.
Solanum is an enormous genus that includes many well known plants of agricultural importance (e.g., Potato [S. tuberosum], Tomato [S. lycopersicum], and Eggplant [S. melongena]). Within the Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum, Naranjilla belongs to the section Lasiocarpa, a clade that includes around 13 species of perennial shrubs or small trees with its center of distribution in northwestern South America. Several species in this section produce edible fruits and two of them, Naranjilla and Cocona (S. sessiliflorum), are economically important fruit crops in Latin America. Naranjilla has been introduced to Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala and is now naturalized in Central America and cultivated in French Polynesia (where there is some concern it could become an invasive weed).
Naranjillo has often been identified as having potential for development as a premium crop for international markets, but some practical hurdles must be overcome, notably the production of varieties with better pathogen resistance. Wild relatives of Naranjilla are a potential source of desirable traits that could be exploited for genetic improvement. For example, crosses of Naranjilla with S. hirtum have reportedly yielded varieties with the same taste as Naranjilla, but with resistance to root knot nematodes.
(Heiser 1985; Bohs 2004; Levin et al. 2006; Bedoya-Reina and Barrero 2010 and references therein)
Solanum quitoense, known as naranjilla[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾaŋˈxiʝa], "little orange") in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama and as lulo ([ˈlulo], from Quechua) in Colombia, is a tropical perennial plant from northwestern South America. The specific name for this species of nightshade means "from Quito."[4]
The lulo plant has large elongated heart- or oval-shaped leaves up to 45 cm in length. The leaves and stems of the plant are covered in short purple hairs. Naranjilla are delicate plants and must be protected from strong winds and direct sunlight. They grow best in partial shade.
The fruit has a citrus flavour, sometimes described as a combination of rhubarb and lime. The juice of the naranjilla is green and is often used as a juice or for a drink called lulada.
Within the genus Solanum, S. quitoense is a part of the subgenus Leptostemonum. Within this clade, S. quitoense belongs to the section Lasiocarpa. Other species within Lasiocarpa include S. candidum, S. hyporhodium, S. lasiocarpum, S. felinum, S. psudolulo, S. repandum and S. vestissimum.[1]
Solanum quitoense resembles and can be confused with certain other species of Solanum (some closely related to S. quitoense and others less so), including S. hirtum, S. myiacanthum, S. pectinatum, S. sessiliflorum and S. verrogeneum. Furthermore, S. quitoense is somewhat variable in appearance, making identification challenging: at least three varietals (with spines, without spines, and a third variety known as baquicha, which features red-ripening fruits and smooth leaves) are known to occur. One characteristic that is unique to S. quitoense is the ring of green flesh within the ripe fruit.[1] The only related fruit to have green flesh is a cultivated variant of S. lasiocarpum.
The new growth of Solanum quitoense is densely covered in protective trichomes, which vary in color from purple to white.
New leaf
Bud
Bud and young leaf
The naranjilla has been proposed as a new flavoring for the global food industry,[5] but its faring poorly in large-scale cultivation presents an obstacle to its wider use.[1] Its fruit, like tomatoes, is easily damaged when ripe, so is usually harvested unripe.[5] The fruits are found at markets, and locals commonly prepare beverages by adding sugar and water to the freshly squeezed fruits.[5]
Solanum quitoense has limited potential in large-scale agriculture due to the plant's extreme vulnerability to pests and diseases when grown as a crop. One common type of infection is caused by the root-knot nematode. The ripe fruit is also very delicate and is frequently attacked by fungus, especially when mechanically damaged, so it is often picked unripe to avoid rotting.[5] S. quitoense-specific vascular wilt is caused by a fungus and leads to flaccid fruits and defoliation.[6]
Hybrids are an increasingly popular solution to the nematode pest problem. S. quitoense has been hybridized with other Solanum species, most commonly with S. sessiliflorum, a plant with similar phenotypic traits. The leaves, flowers and fruits of S. sessiliflorum are similar in form to S. quitoense, but the fruits of the former are larger and yellow; the resulting hybrids have fruits with yellowish fruit pulp.[1]
Contents of the fruit varies from region to region. These statistics are based on Costa Rican fruit:[5]
These statistics are based on fruits found in Colombia and Ecuador:[7]
Solanum quitoense, known as naranjilla (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾaŋˈxiʝa], "little orange") in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama and as lulo ([ˈlulo], from Quechua) in Colombia, is a tropical perennial plant from northwestern South America. The specific name for this species of nightshade means "from Quito."
The lulo plant has large elongated heart- or oval-shaped leaves up to 45 cm in length. The leaves and stems of the plant are covered in short purple hairs. Naranjilla are delicate plants and must be protected from strong winds and direct sunlight. They grow best in partial shade.
The fruit has a citrus flavour, sometimes described as a combination of rhubarb and lime. The juice of the naranjilla is green and is often used as a juice or for a drink called lulada.
