Plant Lovers: A Fox Face Plant (Photos) with Some Udder Names

Here's what caught my eye today Fox Face (Solanum mammosum) at a DIY store in Okinawa, Japan

So you could get a good look at them, I shot photos from different angles.

Nobody walking through the Lawn and Garden Center knew what kind of plant it was when I asked them.  

So, I decided to ahem, ahum, reposition the price tag which had a name on it.

That wasn't exactly a good composition for a photo so, I decided to reposition it, again.

My plan, after I took this photo with the Japanese name, Fox Face on the plant, was to put the sticker back where I originally found it.  Sometimes, plans just don't happen.

  This was one of those times.

I GOT CAUGHT TAKING PHOTOS WHERE PHOTOGRAPHY ISN'T ALLOWED !

You'd think I was some sort of criminal, or someone doing industrial espionage.  Groan. 

Why me ?

So, thinking real fast while I was shaking in my flip flops, I showed the guy my camera and said "Watch.  I'll DELETE, Gomenasai ( I'm sorry )" and a buncha other stuff.

It worked.  I got out of there, photos and all.  Next time, I'll ask, first.  Or, I could bring the little Canon G12, and don't get caught.  Hmm.

Anyway, while the camera was downloading, I did my research on Fox Face.

An Anthropoligist named Jared Braiterman has a website called

TOKYO GREEN SPACE

He talks about the plant and says people decorate their homes with them.

Sure enough, he has a photo of the plant and it looks like my photos.

They call the plant Fox Face because somebody decided that's what the fruits look like.

Well, there wasn't a scientific name for the plant on the Tokyo site so, I dug a bit further.

WIKIPEDIA TELLS ME THIS:

In Japan, Solanum mammosum is called Fox Face.

In China, it's called Five Fingered Eggplant.

But, whackos in other places around the world call the plant:

Nipplefruit, Titty Fruit, Apple of Sodom and  Cow's Udder.

Udder than that, I have nothing more to tell you about the Solanum mammosum except, if I ever decide to photograph them again at the DIY store, I might ask for permission first !