Solanum chilense is a plant species from the "tomato" subgenus Lycopersicon within the nightshade genus Solanum.
Description Vegetative characteristics Solanum chilense is an erect or decumbent, perennial, 0.5–1.5 m tall, and 1–4 m wide herb with a woody base.Raduski, A. R., & Igić, B. (2021). Biosystematic studies on the status of Solanum chilense. American Journal of Botany, 108(3), 520-537. The grayish stems become woody at the base and reach a diameter of . The dense, velvety coat consists of white, single row, non-glandular trichomes up to 0.5 mm in length and occasional short-row, glandular trichomes with four or achtzelligen heads.
The sympodial units have two (rarely three) leaves. The internodes are 1–2 (rarely 5) cm long. The leaves are broken imparipinnate, (often only 5 to) 7 to 13 (rarely to 20) cm long and (rarely 2) 2.5 to 6.5 (rarely to 10) cm wide. They are greyish green. The coat is similar to the stem, but with less glandular trichomes.
The sheath consists of five to seven pairs of bulk leaves which are narrowly elliptical in shape, a broad-pointed to pointed tip, and inclined to appear sessile. Generative characteristics The often terminal, 10–12-flowered inflorescence bears pedicellate, yellow, self-incompatible flowers with 5 petals. The anther tube is straight. The stigma is capitate. The globose, 1 cm wide, green, inedible fruits have white hairs.
Cytology It is a diploid species. The chromosome count is n = 12.
Taxonomy It was first described as Lycopersicum chilense by Michel Félix Dunal in 1852.Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de, & Candolle, Alphonse de. (1824). Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive, Enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarium, juxta methodi naturalis, normas digesta (Vol. 13, Issue 1, p. 24). Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/159506Lycopersicum chilense Dunal. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved December 28, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/816693-1 It was placed into the genus Solanum as Solanum chilense by Karl Friedrich Reiche in 1910.Solanum chilense (Dunal) Reiche. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved December 28, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/818675-1 It is placed into the section Solanum sect. Lycopersicon. Etymology The specific epithet chilense means from Chile.Charters, M. L. (n.d.). California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations An Annotated Dictionary of Botanical and Biographical Etymology. Calflora. Retrieved December 28, 2025, from https://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageCA-CH.html
Distribution and habitat It is native to northern Chile, Galápagos, and Peru at altitudes of 0–3300 m above sea level. It is adapted to the harsh environmental conditions and salinity of the Atacama Desert.Bigot, S., Leclef, C., Rosales, C., Martínez, J. P., Lutts, S., & Quinet, M. (2023). Comparison of the salt resistance of Solanum lycopersicum x Solanum chilense hybrids and their parents. Frontiers in Horticulture, 2, 1130702. They grow in extremely dry, rocky areas and in coastal deserts. The flowers and fruits appear consistently throughout the year, but there is a noticeable increase in flowering between September and October.
Conservation The IUCN conservation status is Least Concern (LC).
Use It is used in plant breedingMolitor, C., Kurowski, T. J., Fidalgo de Almeida, P. M., Kevei, Z., Spindlow, D. J., Chacko Kaitholil, S. R., ... & Mohareb, F. R. (2024). A chromosome-level genome assembly of Solanum chilense, a tomato wild relative associated with resistance to salinity and drought. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1342739. because it is resistant to disease, drought,Kole, C. (2011). Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources: Vegetables. p. 174. Germany: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. salt, and cold.D’Agostino, N., Barone, A., & Rigano, M. M. (2021). Knowledge on the Genomes of Wild Tomato Species is the Key to Unlocking Their Breeding Potential. In The Wild Solanums Genomes (pp. 155-166). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Further reading Iris E. Peralta, David M. Spooner, Sandra Knapp: Taxonomy of Wild Tomatoes and Their Relatives (.. Solanum sect Lycopersicoides, Juglandifolia sect, sect Lycopersicon, Solanaceae.). Systematic Botany Monographs, Volume 84, The American Society of Plant taxonomists, June 2008,
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