Solanum Plant Family Information About Solanum Genus

The Solanum family of plants is a large genus under the family umbrella of Solanaceae that includes up to 2,000 species, ranging from food crops, such as the potato and the tomato, to various ornamentals and medicinal species.

Which plant belongs to family Solanaceae?

Solanaceae, the nightshade, or potato, family of flowering plants (order Solanales), with 102 genera and nearly 2,500 species, many of considerable economic importance as food and drug plants. Among the most important of those are potato (Solanum tuberosum); eggplant (S. melongena); tomato (S.

Which family is known as potato family?

Called the nightshade family or the potato family, Solanaceae has more than 90 genera and nearly 3,000 species distributed throughout the world. Its members are characterized by flowers with five petals, sepals, and stamens and typically bear alternate leaves.

How do you identify a Solanaceae family?

Characteristics of Solanaceae Family

Root System: Taproot system.
Stem: Erect or climber; Solanaceae includes herbs, shrubs, small trees, and climbers.
Leaves: Alternate, simple or pinnately compound (rarely); exstipulate; reticulate venation.

What does Solanum mean?

Solanum is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance, the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (aubergine, brinjal). ... Many formerly independent genera like Lycopersicon (the tomatoes) and Cyphomandra are now included in Solanum as subgenera or sections.

What flowers are in the nightshade family?

The family is informally known as the nightshade or potato family. The family includes the Datura or Jimson weed, eggplant, mandrake, deadly nightshade or belladonna, capsicum (paprika, chile pepper), potato, tobacco, tomato, and petunia. The most important species of this family for the global diet is the potato.

What does Nightshade look like?

Deadly nightshade is a perennial plant with long, thin branches. Leaves: oval-shaped, untoothed with smooth edges and pointed ends. They grow on stalks in an alternate pattern and are poisonous. Flowers: bell-shaped with purple and green colouration, around 2.5–3cm in length.

What vegetable family is sweet potato?

Lam. The sweet potato or sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. The young shoots and leaves are sometimes eaten as greens.

Is a yam in the potato family?

In fact, these tasty starchy veggies are actually in two different plant families entirely! Yams are members of the genus Dioscorea and are in their own special family, Dioscoreaceae. They are tubers, like potatoes, and are mostly cultivated in tropical parts of the world.

Why is it called nightshade?

Take the nightshade vegetables or Solanaceae, a plant family that includes eggplant, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. (The term “nightshade” may have been coined because some of these plants prefer to grow in shady areas, and some flower at night.)

How does nightshade kill you?

Deadly nightshade is one of the most toxic plants in the Eastern Hemisphere. While the roots are the most deadly part, the poisonous alkaloids run through the entirety of the plant. Scopolamine and hyoscyamine are among these toxins, both of which cause delirium and hallucinations.

Are sweet potatoes a nightshade?

Nightshades are a botanical family of foods and spices that contain chemical compounds called alkaloids, explains registered dietitian Ryanne Lachman. Common edible nightshades include: Tomatoes. Potatoes (but not sweet potatoes).

Is coffee a nightshade?

Here's a list of vegetables that people often think are nightshades, but are not nightshades: Black pepper. Coffee.

Is Solanum plant poisonous?

Is Solanum 'Glasnevin' poisonous? Solanum 'Glasnevin' can be toxic.

How is Solanum still alive?

It's highly likely that, due to the inconsistent and uncertain laws of physics at this location, time has not passed at a conventional rate for her, which explains why she is still alive hundreds of thousands of years after the rest of her species has died.

Is Solanum a perennial?

Solanum can be annual, perennial, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or climbers. They have, often scented, flowers with large stamens and simple or pinnately lobed leaves.

Are potatoes in the nightshade family?

Nightshade vegetables belong to the family of plants with the Latin name Solanaceae. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are all common nightshades. Many are rich sources of nutrients and serve as staple foods for various cultures.

Are petunias in the nightshade family?

Petunia is a member of the Solanaceae (or nightshade) family. This is a family that contains a few very sinister members such as deadly nightshade, angel's trumpet and tobacco. In contrast, potato, tomato, pepper, and egg plant are all very valuable food crops which also belong to the nightshade family.

What makes a plant a nightshade?

Nightshade fruits and vegetables are a broad group of plants from the solanum and capsicum families. Nightshade plants contain poisons, one called solanine. ... This is because the amount of this toxic compound is lowered to nontoxic levels once the fruits and vegetables ripen.

What do nightshade berries look like?

Anyone who's done some foraging has seen the “Black Nightshade” also called the “Common Nightshade” and (DRUM ROLLLLLLLLL) the “Deadly Nightshade.” It's one to four feet tall, oval to diamond shaped leaves, with and without large blunt teeth, little white star-like flowers with yellow cores followed by green berries ...

What is the difference between deadly nightshade and black nightshade?

Sometimes S. nigrum is confused for the more toxic deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), which is in a different genus within Solanaceae. A comparison of the fruit shows that the black nightshade berries grow in bunches, whereas the deadly nightshade berries grow individually.

What happens if you eat one Nightshade Berry?

The deadly nightshade lives up to its reputation once humans eat it. Ingesting just two to four berries can kill a human child. ... Milder symptoms of deadly nightshade poisoning include delirium and hallucinations, which appear quickly once ingested.