TAMARILLO TREE TOMATO CYPHOMANDRA BETACEA

The tamarillo or tree tomato originates in South America, probably in the Peruvian Andes, although this is not certain, as it is a cultivated plant and not found in the wild. It is called the tree tomato because of its fruit which do look like plum tomatoes. The tamarillo got this name when it was taken to New Zealand in 1891. The name is from the Spanish for yellow, amarillo and thet is for tomato. It is a member of the Solanaceae family so is a relative of the tomato, aubergine, tomatillo, nipple fruit, Cape gooseberry and Belladonna or deadly nightshade. It is also sometimes called the tomarillo and has other Latin synonyms too, including Solanum betaceumCav. Cyphomandra hartwegiSendt and is one of thirty Cyphomandra species.