Solanaceae
| Solanaceae | |
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| A flowering Brugmansia x insignis from the US Botanic Garden | |
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| Family: | Solanaceae |
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Acnistus
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The Solanaceae is a family of flowering plants, many of which are edible, while others are considered poisonous. The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum "the nightshade plant", but the further etymology of that word is unclear; it has been suggested it originates from the Latin verb "solari", meaning "soothing". This would presumably refer to alleged soothing pharmacological properties of some of the psychoactive species found in the family. It is more likely, however, that the name comes from the perceived resemblance that some of the flowers bear to the sun and its rays, and in fact a species of Solanum (Solanum nigrum) is known as the sunberry. The family is also 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 Solanaceae family is characteristically ethnobotanical, that is, extensively utilized by humans. It is an important source of food, spice, and medicine. However, Solanaceae species are often rich in alkaloidal glucosides that can range in their toxicity to humans and animals from mildly irritating to fatal in small quantities.
Flowers are typically conical or funnelform with five petals, usually fused. The leaves are alternate, often with a hairy or clammy surface. Solanaceous plants produce a fruit that is either a berry, as in the case of the tomato, or a dehiscent (breaks open upon drying, or dehiscing, releasing the seeds) capsule as in the case of Datura and chile peppers. The seeds are usually round and flat, being 2-4 millimeters in diameter. The stamens are usually present in multiples of four (most commonly four or eight). The ovaries are inferior. The hypogynus gynoecium is a syncarp located obliquely in relation to the median.
Synonyms and common names
Nightshade is any member of the genus Solanum, of which the potato (S. tuberosum), tomato (S. lycopersicum) and eggplant (S. melongena) are part. "Shade" does not refer to the blockage of light, but actually descends from the German word "Schaden", meaning destruction or damage (attributed to the toxic/fatal effects characteristic of many Solanaceae species). The name Nightshade, or informally, potato, is also extended to the family Solanaceae.
Nutritional importance
The most important species of this family for the global diet is the potato or Solanum tuberosum. Although this plant is generally considered toxic, swollen parts of the roots known as tubers generally possess no toxicity, but rather a copious store of carbohydrates that both the plant and humans can use to obtain energy. However, the tubers may become toxic if allowed to sprout. Green areas on a potato indicate new growth, which may indicate the presence of chaconine and solanine, glycoalkaloid compounds that might be poisonous in quantities that could be found in an ordinary potato serving. In many genera, the fruits are the desirable item: tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplants, and peppers fall into this category. Some people experience a sensitivity or allergy like symptoms to nightshade plants.