Biodiversity
An introduction to biodiversity.
A simple explanation of what biodiversity is, how we make sense of it and its importance to us. Plus an introduction to the biodiversity of potatoes and tomatoes.
Solanum galapagense
Quick description
A rare and beautiful tomato with multiply divided leaves and a strong lemony smell, useful for its salt tolerance.
Appearance
FIt is a herb up to 3 metres long, growing upwards at first and then creeping along the ground, surviving for several years. Solanum galapagense is recognised by its leaves: they are lime green, fleshy, sticky, and divided into smaller parts four times, more divided than leaves of other wild tomatoes. The plants are usually densely hairy with small glands on the hairs. Yellow to orange hairy fruit are useful for recognition. Sepals (leaf-like structures around the flower and fruit) are longer than ripe fruit and pressed to fruit. Each dry seed is pale brown and silky, and about four times lighter than a dry commercial tomato seed.
Taste / cooking
The whole plant smells lemony. Fruits are not normally eaten by people, although they are edible with a sharp taste.
Specific nutritional benefits
Unknown
Habitat / growing
Found only on the Galápagos Islands. Grows on recent lava flows on the coasts, where the sea spray can reach. Sometimes also found on volcanic slopes further up.
Stress tolerance
High levels of tolerance to salt. It has been used in breeding programs to improve salt tolerance of other tomatoes.
Disease/pest resistance
Differences in biochemistry have been found, but nothing is known about disease resistance yet.
