Solanum esculentum

Medium to tall, bushy, hairy plant. Aromatic, especially when crushed. Leaves pinnate, with a mixture of alternating small and large oval to lanceolate leaflets. Flowers yellow, 15 to 25 mm, starry with reflexed, pointed petal lobes, the lobes usually 5 or 6 in number. Fruit is the familiar red tomato.

Waste places, disturbed ground, particularly frequent on sludge drying beds of sewage works.

Flowers June to September.

Annual.

Occasional but widespread casual in England and Wales.

Occasional casual in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 31 of the 617 tetrads.