Common Name: Big eggplant. Tamil Name: Karimulli
S. erianthum is a large shrub that grows to a height of about 3 meters. The plant is fully stellate-tomentose-covered with white wooly structures. The leaves are large extending to more than 20 cm in length and have an elliptic shape. The plant is considered invasive in many parts of the globe. The flowers are star shaped and white in color. The ripe fruits are golden in color. The plant is often confused with Solanum mauritianum, which is a highly invasive plant having wide distribution all over Western Ghats. Solanum mauritanum has blue flowers while in the case of S erianthum the flower color is white. Another notable difference is that S. mauritanum has one or two ear shaped structures at the base of the leaf stalk. Both plants are highly invasive, however the fruits are much sought after by birds; including endemic birds like Nilgiri Flycatcher.
