ANISODUS ACUTANGULUS

This member of the Solanaceae family was given this name by Cheng Yi Wu & Cheih Chen in 1977. It is found in south-western Sichuan and north-western Yunnan; South-Central China, growing in a well drained clayish soil with quite some water and some to lots of sun. The caudex can grow to five centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 10 or even 150 centimetres in height. The flowers are pale yellow-green, sometimes purplish. The roots, which are extremely toxic, are used medicinally to ease pain and for stomachache.

The genera name is a compound of the Greek words ἄνισος; ánisos: 'unequal' and ὀδούς odoús, 'tooth', hence signifying 'having teeth of different lengths' – so called from the observation that certain species have calyces featuring lobes or teeth of unequal length. The species name acutangulus is derived from Latin; angulus; 'angle' and acutus; 'sharp'.