Solanum is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include two food crops of the highest economic importance, the potato and the tomato. It also contains the nightshades and horsenettles, as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit. Solanum species show a wide range of growing habits, such as annual and perennials, vines, subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees. Many formerly independent genera like Lycopersicon (the tomatoes) and Cyphomandra are now included in Solanum as subgenera or sections. Thus, the genus today contains roughly 1,500-2,000 species.

Solanum anguivi commonly known as Forest Bitterberry is a South African indigenous species from the KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces. It is synonymously known as Solanum indicum and Solanum urosepalum. Solanum anguivi grows into a spiny shrub of up to 3 meters tall. It has straight spines and deeply incised leaves. During it bears pale violet to white flowers which are followed by red to orange edible berries.