Editing Tlanoxtle

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
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! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Tlanoxtle (''Lycianthes moziniana'')
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Lycianthes moziniana Figure 66.jpg|thumb|center|300px|Botanical figure of ''Lycianthes moziniana'' var. ''moziniana''. Dean et al. (2020), CC BY 4.0.]]
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Lycianthes moziniana'' (Dunal) Bitter
|-
! Genus
| [[Lycianthes]]
|-
! Family
| [[Solanaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Solanales]]
|-
! Fruit type
| Berry
|-
! Growth form
| Perennial herb from fusiform storage roots
|-
! Native range
| Central Mexico, mainly the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
|-
! Native elevation
| 1,600 to 3,000 m
|-
! Climate and hardiness
| Cool to mild highland climate; dies back seasonally and resprouts from underground roots
|-
! Mature height
| Usually 0.1 to 0.5 m; occasionally to 0.9 m
|-
! Soil
| Volcanic soils in disturbed fields, pastures, roadsides, and forest clearings
|-
! Sun
| Full sun to light shade
|-
! Germination
| N/A
|-
! Years to fruit
| N/A
|-
! Pollination
| Solitary bees; self-pollination may occur
|-
! Harvest
| Mature fruit collected September to December in the native range
|}


'''Tlanoxtle''' (''Lycianthes moziniana'' (Dunal) Bitter) is a perennial Mexican food plant in the genus [[Lycianthes]] and family [[Solanaceae]], the tomato and potato family. It produces juicy green berries that have been gathered for food and sold in traditional markets. The plant is not a tree: it dies back near or below the soil surface each season and returns from fusiform underground storage roots.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Identification and description ==

The plant is a low perennial herb, usually 0.1 to 0.5 m tall, although specimens up to about 0.9 m have been recorded. Stems may be green to purple-green, with little woody tissue except near the base. The plant branches sympodially and may become decumbent, ascending, or erect as it grows. White, simple hairs cover the stems and leaves. The underground storage roots allow the above-ground growth to die back during the dry or cool part of the year and then resprout when conditions improve.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>

Leaves are simple and occur in unequal pairs on the upper shoots. The blades range from obovate and elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, with entire margins that may be undulate or irregularly angled. Flowers are solitary and axillary, carried horizontally on unusually long pedicels. The flowers have a shallow, round corolla and five poricidal anthers. A green calyx with ten narrow appendages is a useful identification character and helps distinguish ''Lycianthes'' from many wild ''Solanum'' species.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>


== Field identification ==

Tlanoxtle is most reliably identified when flowers and fruit are present. Look for a low, hairy perennial with long, solitary flower stalks, a ten-appendaged calyx, and green berries whose enlarged fruiting calyx teeth remain appressed to the fruit. The botanical revision recognizes three varieties of ''L. moziniana''; the variety ''moziniana'' is the form associated with the traditional food plant and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]</sup>

The name is also written as tlanochtle, tlalnonochtle, or tlanoxtle in regional material. Other recorded names include berenjita, chumpin, chimpina, huevo de gato, tintolón, tilindon, and coyotomate. These vernacular names can overlap with other Solanaceae, so a market or seed packet name should not be treated as a botanical identification without checking the plant's flowers and calyx.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>


== Climate and site ==

The food-plant variety is concentrated in central Mexico, especially along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, at elevations from about 1,600 to 3,000 m. It grows in disturbed pastures, agricultural fields, paths, roadsides, and clearings in xerophilous shrubland, oak forest, and coniferous forest. Field observations from Querétaro recorded flowering at approximately 2,700 m during the summer rainy season.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Native plants are associated mainly with volcanic soils rather than swampy ground. The important soil feature is not constant wetness: the plant occupies open, seasonally managed sites where the root zone is likely to drain and then dry between periods of rain. Give it a mineral, well-drained soil with organic matter, but avoid heavy clay that stays airless after rain. A raised bed is appropriate where winter or summer rainfall leaves water standing. The underground roots can carry the plant through a dry or cold rest, but the active shoots need moisture during the growing season.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]</sup>

This is a highland plant, not a lowland tropical perennial. Full sun and cool to mild temperatures are more appropriate than hot, humid conditions. In climates with freezing winters, mulch over the root zone and expect the top growth to disappear. Growers in warm climates should provide excellent drainage and some afternoon protection if plants decline in prolonged heat.

=== Soil ===

Tlanoxtle is associated with volcanic highland soils in open fields, pastures, shrubland, and forest clearings. These sites are generally mineral, porous, and seasonally dry rather than swampy. A gritty loam or volcanic soil with organic matter and rapid drainage is preferable; heavy clay should be raised or amended so winter and summer rains do not leave the root crown saturated.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>

=== Sun and humidity ===

Open-field populations receive full sun, although plants at forest edges may receive afternoon shade. The highland atmosphere is cooler and less continuously humid than a lowland tropical climate, with humidity increasing during summer rains. Avoid hot, stagnant conditions and provide airflow in warm climates.

=== Seasonal changes ===

The natural cycle is strongly seasonal: summer rains support active shoots and flowering, while the cooler, drier winter commonly brings dieback or a below-ground rest. Keep the plant drier during dormancy and resume moisture as new growth appears. At high elevations, cold nights can extend the dormant period even when daytime sun is strong.

== Propagation ==

* '''Seed''' is a documented natural propagation route. The plant persists through seed dispersed by people as well as through its underground root system.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Germination temperatures, storage life, and emergence times: N/A. Sow fresh, cleaned seed in a free-draining medium and keep it warm and evenly moist until emergence.
* '''Storage roots''' allow established plants to resprout after seasonal dieback. Avoid damaging them during dormancy and do not keep dormant roots in saturated soil.
* '''Cuttings and grafting''': N/A.


== Flowering, fruiting and harvest ==

Flowering specimens of the food-plant variety have been collected from June through October. Mature fruit has been collected from September through December, placing the main native harvest in the latter part of the rainy season and the beginning of the cooler, drier season. Field observations report that the corollas open very early in the morning and close by noon.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>

Solitary bees in the genus ''Thygater'' have been observed visiting the flowers. The flower's staggered stamen development may bring the final anther close to the stigma and allow some self-pollination. Reliable fruit-set data for cultivated plants: N/A.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>


== Fruit and uses ==

The berries are green when mature in the food-plant variety, roundish to oval, juicy, and up to approximately 4.15 cm in diameter. Their flavor has been described as sweet with a slight tartness or acidity, similar in general character to tomato. Fruit is eaten raw and has also been dried, boiled in sugar syrup, and preserved. Tlanoxtle fruit has been associated with traditional markets and offerings during Day of the Dead observances.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

David E. Williams reported an estimated field density of about 4,700 plants per hectare, with approximately 30 fruits per plant in one agricultural setting. That observation produced a calculated yield of about 1.25 metric tons per hectare, but it should be treated as a field observation rather than a modern commercial yield standard.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

The botanical revision records medicinal use as a purgative in the State of Mexico. That is not a recommendation for home use. As with other Solanaceae, fruit should only be eaten when the plant is correctly identified and the fruit is at the documented mature stage; unripe fruit, leaves, and underground parts should not be assumed edible from the fruit's food history.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>


== Pests and diseases ==

N/A


== Cultivars and selections ==

No named horticultural cultivars were identified. The botanical revision recognizes the varieties ''moziniana'', ''margaretiana'', and ''oaxacana'', but they are not interchangeable in food use or climate adaptation. The food-plant tradition described here applies primarily to var. ''moziniana''.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>


== Container growing ==

A deep container is preferable because the plant develops fusiform storage roots. Use a mineral, sharply draining mix and keep the plant in full sun. Allow the top growth to die back naturally if it enters dormancy, then reduce watering without allowing the dormant root mass to remain wet. Resume regular moisture only when new shoots appear.


== Zone pushing ==

* Treat the plant as a cool-season or highland perennial rather than a tropical fruit tree.
* Mulch heavily over the root zone where winter temperatures freeze the top growth.
* In hot climates, use morning sun, afternoon protection, and fast drainage.
* Do not plant it in a low spot where heavy clay stays saturated through winter.
* Preserve seed or root material from authenticated food-plant lines because the traditional agroecosystems supporting Tlanoxtle are declining.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>


== Photos ==

[[File:Lycianthes moziniana Figure 66.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Additional photograph for identification.]]

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== Commentary ==

Share your experience growing this plant on the [[Talk:Tlanoxtle|Tlanoxtle commentary page]]. Notes about climate, propagation, container culture, flowering, fruiting, fruit quality, pests, and unusual local selections are welcome.

When possible, include your location or climate, how the plant was propagated, its age, and the conditions it was grown in.

== Sources ==

<ol>
<li id="cite_note-1">[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] [https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/51904/ Dean et al. (2020), “The genus ''Lycianthes'' (Solanaceae, Capsiceae) in Mexico and Guatemala,” ''PhytoKeys'' 168: 1–333]. Taxonomy, morphology, distribution, habitat, phenology, uses, and variety-level discussion.</li>
<li id="cite_note-2">[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] [https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02907353 Williams (1993), “''Lycianthes moziniana'' (Solanaceae): An Underutilized Mexican Food Plant with ‘New’ Crop Potential,” ''Economic Botany'' 47: 387–400]. Food history, fruit use, field density, yield estimate, and traditional cultivation context.</li>
<li id="cite_note-3">[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] [https://backyardnature.net/q/lycianth.htm Jim Conrad, Tlanoxtle, ''Lycianthes moziniana'']. Field observations from Querétaro, flower biology, flavor notes, and traditional-use summary.</li>
</ol>


== Image credits ==

* Botanical figure: Dean et al. (2020), Figure 66, [https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.168.figure66 PhytoKeys], CC BY 4.0. Local copy: [[File:Lycianthes moziniana Figure 66.jpg]].
* Field photographs and observations: [https://backyardnature.net/q/lycianth.htm Backyard Nature, Tlanoxtle].

[[Category:Fruits]]
[[Category:Tropical fruit plants]]
[[Category:Lycianthes]]
[[Category:Mexican fruit plants]]
[[Category:Solanaceae]]