Category: Greening Sanjeevi Hills

Hidden among the dry scrublands and rocky foothills surrounding Sanjeevi Malai is a little-known native medicinal shrub that has long been valued in traditional rural life, Solanum pubescens, locally known as Kaattu Sundai or Kattu Sundaikkai.

Belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), the wild shrub is commonly seen in Tamil Nadu around hill slopes and semi-arid landscapes at elevations ranging between 300 and 1,000 metres.

The plant is easily recognised by its dense sticky hairs covering the leaves and stems, along with its attractive purple to violet flowers. Unlike some thorny members of the Solanum family, Solanum pubescens is mostly thornless or carries only a few prickles. Its small round berries, measuring about 1.2 cm, gradually turn orange upon ripening.

For generations, rural communities have used the plant in traditional food and medicinal practices. The unripe fruits are dried and occasionally used in cooking. Though bitter in taste, often compared to bitter gourd, the fruits are traditionally believed to help manage joint pain, digestive ailments, and bowel-related disorders. In some farming communities, the leaves are also incorporated into paddy fields as green manure to enrich soil fertility.