Solanum

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). It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solanaceae, comprising around 1,500 species. It also contains the so-called horse nettles (unrelated to the genus of true nettles, Urtica), as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit.
Solanum species show a wide range of growth habits, such as annuals 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.
Name
The generic name was first used by Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) for a plant also known as , most likely S. nigrum. Its derivation is uncertain, possibly stemming from the Latin word , meaning "sun", referring to its status as a plant of the sun.
Species having the common name "nightshade"
The species most commonly called nightshade in North America and Britain is Solanum dulcamara, also called bittersweet or woody nightshade (so-called because it is a (scandent) shrub). Its foliage and egg-shaped red berries are poisonous, the active principle being solanine, which can cause convulsions and death if taken in large doses. Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is also generally considered poisonous, but its fully-ripened fruit and its foliage are both cooked and eaten in some areas. Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) belongs, like Solanum, to subfamily Solanoideae of the nightshade family, but, unlike that genus, is a member of tribe Hyoscyameae (Solanum belongs to tribe Solaneae). The chemistry of Atropa species is very different from that of Solanum species and features the very toxic tropane alkaloids, the best-known of which is atropine.
Food crops
Most parts of the plants, especially the green parts and unripe fruit, are poisonous to humans (although not necessarily to other animals), but many species in the genus bear some edible parts, such as fruits, leaves, or tubers. Three crops in particular have been bred and harvested for consumption by humans for centuries, and are now cultivated on a global scale:
Tomato, S. lycopersicum
Tomato varieties are sometimes bred from both S. lycopersicum and wild tomato species such as S. pimpinellifolium, S. peruvianum, S. cheesmanii, S. galapagense, S. chilense, etc. (such varieties include—among others—Bicentennial, Dwarf Italian, Epoch, Golden Sphere, Hawaii, Ida Red, Indigo Rose, Kauai, Lanai, Marion, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, Oahu, Owyhee, Parma, Payette, Red Lode, Super Star, Surecrop, Tuckers Forcing, V 121, Vantage, Vetomold, and Waltham.)
Potato, S. tuberosum, fourth largest food crop.
Less important but cultured relatives used in small amounts include S. stenotomum, S. phureja, S. goniocalyx, S. ajanhuiri, S. chaucha, S. juzepczukii, S. curtilobum.
Eggplant (also known as brinjal or aubergine), S. melongena
Other species are significant food crops regionally, such as Ethiopian eggplant or gilo (S. aethiopicum), naranjilla or lulo (S. quitoense), Turkey berry (S. torvum), pepino or pepino melon (S. muricatum), Tamarillo (S. betaceum), wolf apple (S. lycocarpum), garden huckleberry (S. scabrum) and "bush tomatoes" (several Australian species).
Ornamentals
The species most widely seen in cultivation as ornamental plants are:
S. aviculare (kangaroo apple)
S. capsicastrum (false Jerusalem cherry, winter cherry)
S. crispum (Chilean potato tree)
S. laciniatum (kangaroo apple)
S. laxum (potato vine)
S. mammosum (Nipplefruit, titty fruit, cow's udder, apple of Sodom)
S. pseudocapsicum (Christmas cherry, winter cherry)
S. rantonnetii (blue potato bush)
S. seaforthianum (Italian jasmine, St. Vincent lilac)
S. mauritianum (woolly nightshade, earleaf nightshade)
S. wendlandii (paradise flower, potato vine)
Medicine
Poisonings associated with certain species of Solanum are not uncommon and may be fatal. However, several species are locally used in folk medicine, particularly by native people who have long employed them.
Ecology
Solanum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths) – see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Solanum.
Systematics
The genus was established by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Its subdivision has always been problematic, but slowly some sort of consensus is being achieved.
The following list is a provisional lineup of the genus' traditional subdivisions, together with some notable species. Many of the subgenera and sections might not be valid; they are used here provisionally as the phylogeny of this genus is not fully resolved yet and many species have not been reevaluated.
Cladistic analyses of DNA sequence data suggest that the present subdivisions and rankings are largely invalid. Far more subgenera would seem to warrant recognition, with Leptostemonum being the only one that can at present be clearly subdivided into sections. Notably, it includes as a major lineage several members of the traditional sections Cyphomandropsis and the old genus Cyphomandra.
Subgenus Bassovia
Section Allophylla
Solanum granuloso-leprosum
Section Cyphomandropsis
Solanum glaucophyllum Desf. – Waxy-leaved nightshade
Section Pachyphylla
Solanum betaceum Cav. – Tamarillo
Solanum exiguum
Solanum roseum
Subgenus Leptostemonum
Section Acanthophora
Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq. – Indian nightshade
Solanum atropurpureum Schrank – Five-minute plant
Solanum capsicoides – Cockroach berry, polohauaiʻi (Polynesian)
Solanum mammosum – Nipplefruit, titty fruit, cow's udder, "apple of Sodom"
Solanum palinacanthum Dunal
Solanum viarum Dunal – Tropical soda apple
Section Androceras: 12 spp.
Series Androceras
Series Violaceiflorum
Series Pacificum
Section Anisantherum
Section Campanulata
Section Crinitum
Section Croatianum
Section Erythrotrichum
Solanum robustum H.L.Wendl. – Shrubby nightshade
Section Graciliflorum
Section Herposolanum
Solanum wendlandii Hook.f. – Giant potatocreeper
Section Irenosolanum
Solanum incompletum Dunal – Pōpolo kū mai (Hawaii)
Solanum nelsonii Dunal – Nelson's horsenettle, Ākia (Hawaii)
Solanum sandwicense Hook. & Arn. – Hawaiian horsenettle, Pōpoloaiakeakua (Oahu, Kauai)
Section Ischyracanthum
Section Lasiocarpa
Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal
Solanum pseudolulo – lulo de perro (Colombia)
Solanum quitoense – lulo (Colombia), naranjilla (Ecuador)
Solanum sessiliflorum – Cocona
Section Melongena
Solanum aculeastrum – Soda apple, sodaapple nightshade, goat apple, poison apple, "bitter-apple"
Solanum campechiense – Redberry nightshade
Solanum carolinense – Carolina horsenettle, radical weed, sand brier, devil's tomato, "bull nettle", "tread-softly", "apple of Sodom", "wild tomato" (southeastern United States)
Solanum cataphractum (northern Western Australia, including Coronation Island)
Solanum citrullifolium A.Braun – Watermelon nightshade (southern United States)
Solanum dimidiatum Raf. – Torrey's nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium – Silver-leaved nightshade, prairie berry, silverleaf nettle, white horsenettle, silver nightshade, "bull-nettle", "trompillo" (Spanish); Silver-leaf bitter-apple, satansbos (South Africa)
Solanum heterodoxum Dunal – Melon-leaved nightshade
Solanum incanum L.
Solanum linnaeanum – Devil's apple, "apple of Sodom"
Solanum macrocarpon L.
Solanum marginatum L.f. – White-margined nightshade
Solanum melongena – Eggplant, aubergine (including S. ovigerum)
Solanum rostratum Dunal – Buffalo bur, Texas thistle
Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. – Sticky nightshade, fire-and-ice
Solanum virginianum L.
Section Micracantha
Solanum jamaicense Mill. – Jamaican nightshade
Solanum lanceifolium Jacq. – Lance-leaved nightshade
Solanum tampicense Dunal – Wetland nightshade
Section Monodolichopus
Section Nycterium
Section Oliganthes
Solanum aethiopicum – Ethiopian eggplant, nakati, mock tomato, Ethiopian nightshade; including S. gilo (scarlet eggplant, Gilo or jiló)
Solanum centrale – Australian desert raisin, bush raisin, bush sultana, "bush tomato", akatjurra (Alyawarre), kampurarpa (Pitjantjatjara), merne akatyerre (Arrernte), kutjera
Solanum cleistogamum – "bush tomato", merne mwanyerne (Arrernte)
Solanum ellipticum – Potato bush, "bush tomato"
Solanum pyracanthos Lam. – Porcupine tomato, Devil's Thorn
Solanum quadriloculatum F.Muell. – "bush tomato", "wild tomato" (Australia)
Section Persicariae
Solanum bahamense L. – Bahama nightshade, canker berry, berengena de playa
Solanum ensifolium Dunal – Erubia
Section Polytrichum
Section Pugiunculifera
Section Somalanum
Section Torva
Solanum asteropilodes
Solanum chrysotrichum Schltdl. – Giant devil's-fig
Solanum lanceolatum – Orangeberry nightshade
Solanum paniculatum – Jurubeba
Solanum torvum – Turkey berry, devil's fig, prickly nightshade, shoo-shoo bush, wild eggplant, pea eggplant
Subgenus Lyciosolanum
Solanum guineense L.
Subgenus Solanum sensu stricto
Section Afrosolanum
Section Anarrhichomenum
Solanum baretiae
Section Archaesolanum
Solanum aviculare – Poroporo (New Zealand), kangaroo apple (Australia)
Section Basarthrum
Solanum catilliflorum
Solanum muricatum – Pepino dulce, pepino melon, melon pear, "pepino", "tree melon"
Solanum perlongistylum
Solanum tergosericeum
Section Benderianum
Section Brevantherum
Solanum bullatum
Solanum erianthum D.Don – Potato tree, "mullein nightshade"
Solanum mauritianum – Woolly nightshade, ear-leaved nightshade, flannel weed, bugweed, tobacco weed, kerosene plant, "wild tobacco" (Australia)
Solanum evolvuloides
Section Dulcamara
Solanum crispum – Chilean potato vine, Chilean nightshade, Chilean potato tree
Solanum dulcamara – Bittersweet
Solanum imbaburense
Solanum laxum Spreng. – Jasmine nightshade
Solanum leiophyllum
Solanum seaforthianum Andrews – Brazilian nightshade
Solanum triquetrum Cav. – Texas nightshade
Solanum wallacei – Wallace's nightshade, Catalina nightshade, Clokey's nightshade, "wild tomato" (including S. clokeyi)
Solanum xanti – Purple nightshade, San Diego nightshade
Section Herpystichum
Section Holophylla
Solanum diphyllum L. – Twin-leaved nightshade
Solanum pseudocapsicum – Jerusalem cherry, Madeira winter cherry, "winter cherry" (including S. capsicastrum)
Solanum pseudoquina (including S. inaequale Vell.)
Section Juglandifolia
Solanum juglandifolium
Solanum ochranthum
Section Lemurisolanum
Section Lycopersicoides
Solanum lycopersicoides Dunal – Peruvian wolfpeach
Solanum sitiens
Section Lycopersicon
Solanum arcanum Peralta – "wild tomato"
Solanum chilense
Solanum corneliomulleri
Solanum huaylasense Peralta
Solanum peruvianum L. – Peruvian nightshade, "wild tomato"
Solanum cheesmaniae (L.Riley) Fosberg
Solanum chmielewskii
Solanum galapagense S.C.Darwin & Peralta
Solanum habrochaites
Solanum lycopersicum – Tomato
Solanum neorickii
Solanum pennellii
Solanum pimpinellifolium – Currant tomato
Section Macronesiotes
Section Normania
†Solanum nava (?)
Section Petota
Solanum albornozii
Solanum bulbocastanum – Ornamental nightshade
Solanum bukasovii Juz. ex Rybin
Solanum burtonii
Solanum cardiophyllum – Heart-leaved nightshade
Solanum chilliasense
Solanum commersonii Dunal – Commerson's nightshade
Solanum demissum Lindl. – Dwarf wild potato
Solanum jamesii – Wild potato
Solanum minutifoliolum
Solanum paucijugum
Solanum phureja Juz. & Bukasov
Solanum pinnatisectum Dunal – Tansy-leaved nightshade
Solanum regularifolium
Solanum stoloniferum Schltdl. – Tigna potato, Fendler's horsenettle
Solanum stenotomum (including S. goniocalyx)
Solanum ternatum (including S. ternifolium)
Solanum tuberosum – Potato
Section Pteroidea
Section Quadrangulare
Section Regmandra
Section Solanum
Solanum adscendens Sendtner – Sonoita nightshade (Americas)
Solanum americanum Mill. – American nightshade, American black nightshade, glossy nightshade (Americas, Hawaii)
Solanum chenopodioides Lam. – Goosefoot nightshade, slender nightshade (including S. gracilius)
Solanum douglasii Dunal – Green-spotted nightshade
Solanum interius Rydb.
Solanum melongena L.
Solanum nigrescens M.Martens & Galeotti – Divine nightshade
Solanum nigrum L. – European black nightshade, "black nightshade"
S. nigrum guineense – "Garden Huckleberry"
Solanum pseudogracile Heiser – Glowing nightshade
Solanum ptychanthum – West Indian nightshade, Eastern black nightshade
Solanum retroflexum – Wonderberry, sunberry
Solanum sarrachoides – Hairy nightshade
Solanum scabrum Mill. – Garden huckleberry
Solanum triflorum Nutt. – Cut-leaved nightshade
Solanum villosum Mill. – Yellow nightshade
Other notable species
Solanum abutiloides – Dwarf tamarillo
Solanum amygdalifolium Steud.
Solanum bellum
Solanum cajanumense
Solanum chimborazense
Solanum chrysasteroides
Solanum cinnamomeum
Solanum conocarpum Rich. ex Dunal – Marron bacoba
Solanum cowiei Martine
Solanum cremastanthemum
Solanum davisense Whalen – Davis' horsenettle
Solanum densepilosulum
Solanum donianum Walp. – Mullein nightshade
Solanum dolichorhachis
Solanum fallax
Solanum ferox L. – Hairy-fruited eggplant, Thai hairy-fruited eggplant
Solanum fortunense
Solanum furcatum – Forked nightshade
Solanum glabratum Dunal
Solanum haleakalaense H.St.John
Solanum hindsianum Benth. – Hinds' nightshade
Solanum hypermegethes
Solanum hypocalycosarcum
Solanum interandinum
Solanum latiflorum
Solanum leucodendron
Solanum lumholtzianum Bartlett – Sonoran nightshade
Solanum luteoalbum (including S. semicoalitum)
Solanum lycocarpum – Wolf apple, fruta-de-lobo, lobeira (Brazil)
Solanum melissarum Bohs
Solanum nudum Dunal – Forest nightshade
Solanum ovum-fringillae
Solanum paralum
Solanum parishii A.Heller – Parish's nightshade
Solanum physalifolium Rusby
Solanum pinetorum
Solanum polygamum Vahl – Cakalaka berry
Solanum pyrifolium Lam.
Solanum pubescens Willd.
Solanum riedlei Dunal – Riedle's nightshade
Solanum rudepannum Dunal
Solanum rugosum Dunal – tabacon aspero
Solanum sibundoyense
Solanum sodiroi (including S. carchiense)
Solanum sycocarpum
Solanum tenuipes Bartlett – Fancy nightshade
Solanum tobagense
Solanum trilobatum L.
Solanum umbelliferum – Bluewitch nightshade
Solanum violaceum Ortega
Solanum viride Spreng. – Green Nightshade
Solanum woodburyi Howard – Woodbury's nightshade
Formerly placed here
Some plants of other genera were formerly placed in Solanum:
Chamaesaracha coronopus (as S. coronopus)
Lycianthes biflora (as S. multifidum Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don)
Lycianthes denticulata (as S. gouakai var. angustifolium and var. latifolium)
Lycianthes lycioides (as S. lycioides var. angustifolium)
Lycianthes mociniana (as S. uniflorum Dunal in Poir. and S. uniflorum Sessé & Moc.)
Lycianthes rantonnetii (as S. rantonnetii, S. urbanum var. ovatifolium and var. typicum)
Undetermined species of Lycianthes have been referred to under names such as S. chrysophyllum, S. ciliatum Blume ex Miq., S. corniculatum Hiern, S. lanuginosum, S. mucronatum, S. retrofractum var. acuminatum, S. violaceum Blume, S. violifolium f. typicum, S. virgatum notst β albiflorum, S. uniflorum Lag. or S. uniflorum var. berterianum.
References
External links
Meet the TomTato: Tomatoes and potatoes grown as one – CBS News (September 26, 2013)
Solanaceae genera
Medicinal plants