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We evaluated 23 tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) accessions from five cultivar groups 24 and one wild relative (S. cajanumense) for 26 composition traits. For all traits we found 25 highly significant differences (P<0.001) among the materials studied. The high diversity 26 found within S. betaceum for composition traits was matched by a high diversity within 27 each of the cultivar groups. We found that sucrose and citric acid were the most 28 important soluble sugar and organic acid, respectively, in tree tomato. Fruit in the 29 anthocyanin pigmented (purple) group had a carotenoid content similar to that in the 30 yellow-orange cultivar groups. Total phenolic content was significantly correlated 31 (r=0.8607) with antioxidant activity. Analyses of mineral content showed that tree 32 tomato is a good source of K, Mg, and Cu. Multivariate principal components analysis 33 (PCA) confirmed that an important diversity exists within each cultivar group. The 34 results we have obtained indicate that the high diversity found within the tree tomato 35 could be exploited for selection and breeding for developing the tree tomato as a 36 commercial crop. 37 38

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