The tomato is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual
plant, typically growing to 1-3 m tall. The fruit is an edible,
brightly coloured (usually red, from the pigment lycopene) berry,
1-2 cm diameter in wild plants, commonly much larger in cultivated
forms. Tomato is a very widely grown plant that is generally
regarded as safe and does not have weedy or invasive properties. It
is generally considered that the domesticated tomato is incapable
of persisting or thriving in unmanaged environments, and tomato is
regarded as an inbreeder. Tomatoes contain small quantities of
natural toxins, including tyramine, seratonin, tryptamine and
tomatine (in unripe tomatoes). The levels of these are not
considered hazardous in present commercial varieties.
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