Practical
Plants

Nicandra physaloides

Shoo Fly

an annual member of the Nicandra genus in the family Solanaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
1.2 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a family that contains many species of poisonous plants so some caution is advised. It is normally the leaves and the unripe fruits that are most likely to be suspect, this family also includes many food plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers etc.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit[2]. No more details are given. The fruit is a berry about 15mm in diameter[4]. Young leaves - boiled[2]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is diuretic[6]. There is no evidence to suggest that the plant is purgative, though an alkaloid with mydriatic action is present[6]. The seeds are used in Tibetan medicine, they are said to have an acrid taste and a cooling, very poisonous potency[7]. Analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge, regular use increases bodily vigour[7]. They are used in the treatment of contagious disorders, toothache, intestinal pain from worms and impotence[7]. A decoction of the seeds is used in the treatment of fevers[8].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Anthelmintic
Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Mydriatic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is thought to repel flies[3].

Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
S. America - Peru. Introduced and casual in Britain.
Habitat
Naturalized in waste places and near dwellings in much of N. America[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in situ in late spring, preferably after the last expected frosts[4]. Young seedlings can be transplanted. The seed can remain dormant for several decades[4].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1], but prefers a rich well-drained soil in a sunny position[4]. Plants withstand poor weather conditions well and do not usually require staking[4]. Plants are fast-growing[3] and often self-sow freely[4]. Individual flowers only live for one day, but the plant produces a succession of flowers from summer to early autumn[3].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  3. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. Livingstone. B. Flora of Canada National Museums of Canada 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-660-00025-3

    ↩

  6. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants Tibetan Medical Publications, India 1994-00-00 ISBN 81-900489-0-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

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