The Solanaceae

The Potato or Nightshade Family

Solanum dulcamara	Datura stramonium fruit

The Solanaceae are a family with a widespread distribution. The family contains 147 genera and a 2,930 species. The name Solanaceae is thought to have been derived from the Latin "solamen" which means "quieting" due to the effects the alkaloidal plants can have.

Click here for a distribution map of the Solanaceae in the U.S.A.

Vegetative Characters | Reproductive Characters | Diagnostic Characters | Economic Importance/Fun Facts | Evolutionary Adaptations and Relationships | Glossary of Terms | References and Links | Pictures

Vegetative Characters

• herbs, shrubs, trees, or vines
• stems with internal phloem
• leaves alternate
• stipules lacking
• usually 5 connate petals and sepals
• often prickles and/or pubescense

Reproductive Characters

• plants synoecious, flowers perfect
• fruit a capsule or berry
• superior ovary, epipetalous stamen
• usually axile placentation
• seeds often flattened
• flowers radial-rotate, funnelform, or salverform
• inflorescence determinate, cymose, or sometimes solitary

Diagnostic Characters

• synapomorphies = stems with internal phloem and radially symmetrical flowers with a plicate, sympetalous corolla
• the combination of many of the morphological characteristics listed above along with cpDNA characters distinguish the family
• plants mostly erect or climbing

Economic Importance/Fun Facts

• obviously a huge food source-tomatoes, potatoes
• tobacco is a huge cash crop in some parts of the U.S.
• most medicinal/poisonous plants are in Solanaceae
• many contain alkaloids

Evolutionary Adaptations and Relationships

• Order Solanales-which is monophyletic
• family monophyly based upon cpDNA characters (Olmstead and Palmer 1991, 1992)
• sister group to Convolvulaceae
• within family relationships determined by rbcL, trnL-F (Olmstead et al. 1995), and morphological data (D'Arcy 1979, 1991).

Glossary of Terms

• alkaloid
• plicate-folded like a fan
• prickle-small spineline body originating from the epidermal layers and borne irregularly on bark or epidermis

References and Links

• Walters, D.R. and D.J. Keil, 1996. Vasccular Plant Taxonomy, Fourth Edition. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Dubuque, IA 52002
• Zomlefer, Wendy B., 1994. Guide to Flowering Plant Families. The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill, NC USA.
• Judd, W. S., C. S. Campbell, E. A. Kellogg, P. S. Stevens. 1999. Plant Systematics: a phylogenetic approach. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA U.S.A.
• http://www.chez.com/mediplantes/datura12comp.jpg
• http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/finished_plants/solanumdulc.jpg
• http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/generalbotany/images/plantarmature/Solanumprickle1.jpg
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• http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/harmfulplants/images/potatofruit.jpg
• http://www.puc.cl/sw_educ/hortalizas/imagenes/solanaceae_f.jpg
• http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/b_online/fo52/daturfr.jpg

Pictures

An assortment of edible Solanaceae fruits	Toxic, above-ground, green potato fruit

Long fused corolla of Datura stramonium	Solanaceae prickles

For questions or feedback, contact: Kimberly Nelson