Solanum lycocarpum
| Solanum lycocarpum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. lycocarpum |
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum lycocarpum | |
Solanum lycocarpum, or wolf apple, is common in the Brazilian Cerrado ecoregion. The plant is called lobeira ("wolf's plant") or fruta-do-lobo ("wolf's fruit") in Portuguese.
The name "wolf apple" comes from the fact that they account for more than 50% of maned wolves' diet. Likewise, the scientific name "lycocarpum" is formed from Latinized Greek elements "lyco-", meaning "wolf", and "carpum" meaning "fruit".