Tomatoes, Potatoes, Chillies, Bell-peppers and Brinjals,
let's take you to meet the family of tomatoes, potatoes, chillies, bell-peppers and brinjals, the SOLANACEAE family. This family is also known by the names Nightshade family and Hairy leaved family, though all members do not have hairy leaves - example the chillies.
The family ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals.
Many species in this family produce alkaloids, which can have medicinal properties or be toxic to humans and other animals by inducing changes in their physiology.
🍅This family has a worldwide distribution, being present on all continents except Antarctica.
🍅Members of Solanaceae are shrubs or herbs, rarely climbers or small, soft-wooded trees, sometimes beset with straight spines or thorns, often stellate-hairy. They do not have laticifers, nor latex, nor coloured saps.
🍅The leaves are alternate, simple (sometimes deeply lobed), occasionally reduced to scales. In many species the leaves may be covered with prickly hairs or spines.
🍅Flowers are usually bisexual though some species may have unisexual flowers . The flowers are generally radially symmetrical (actinomorphic), usually borne in groups, sometimes showy, usually white, blue or purple.
🍅Each flower has 5 sepals, and 5 petals fused into a tubular, salver-shaped or wheel-shaped (rotate) corolla.
🍅The ovary is superior, often with a nectary-disc at its base, developing into berries or capsules.
🍅Seeds 2 - numerous per fruit. Aril may be absent or present.
The important ornamentals from this family are:
Yesterday-Today&Tomorrow (Brunfelsia pauciflora),
Lady of the Night (Brunfelsia americana, Brunfelsia lactea and Cestrum nocturnum)
Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia candida),
Horn of Plenty (Datura metel)
Chalice Vine (Solandra longiflora)
Waxyleaf Nightshade (Solanum glaucophyllum) and
Petunias
Cestrum species, Datura and Brugmansia are poisonous species but are grown for their ornamental or fragrant flowers.
Plants of Agricultural importance in Solanaceae are:
Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
Chillies and Capsicum (Capsicum sp.)
Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum)
Brinjals and Eggplants (Solanum melongena varieties)
Bladder Cherry (Physalis minima)
Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana)
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
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