This document summarizes the Solanaceae family of plants. It describes their global and regional distribution, as well as their morphological characteristics such as herbaceous or woody habits, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Some key economic species are highlighted, including tomato, potato, tobacco, and medicinal plants. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution and includes herbs, shrubs, trees, and twining plants, many of which are poisonous.

1. SOLANACEAE A.L. de Jussieu
Nightshade or Potato or Solanum Family
Geographical distribution:
Cosmopolitan in distribution, found in tropical as
well as temperate climates. Majority distributed in
Central and South America.
World: 83 Genera and 2,925 Species
India: 21 Genera and 90 Species
Maharashtra: 15 Genera 63 Species

2. Vegetative Characters:
Habit: Herbs (Brunfelsia), shrubs (Cestrum), trees
(Solanum grandiflorum, S. verbascifolium),and
twinners (Solanum jasminoides), often poisonous and
armed with prickles.
Root: Taproot, branched
Stem: Erect or twining, usually glandular hairy or
prickly, fistular (internode is hollow). In Solanum
tuberosum stem modified into tubers.
Leaves: Leaves alternate, or usually alternate below,
but often becoming opposite upwards, exstipulate,
gland-dotted and aromatic (Anthocercis), simple, or
pinnate (Solanum tuberosum). Stomata mainly
confined to one surface, hairy, hairs multicellular,
branched.

3. Reproductive Characters:
Inflorescence: Plants usually monoecious, or dioecious
(Solanum and Symonanthus). Terminal cymose or leaf-
opposed solitary.
Flower: Flowers pentamerous, tetracyclic, usually regular,
or very irregular (Salpiglossis); floral irregularity involve
perianth as well as androecium. Hypogynous
intrastaminal disk usually present. Flowers mostly
odourless, sometimes fragrant (Cestrum, Nicotiana), or
malodorous (Anthocercis).

4. Terminal cyme inflorescence

5. Reproductive Characters:
Calyx: Sepals 5, gamosepalous, persistent and usually
accrescent, with valvate aestivation.
Corolla: Petals 5, gamopetalous, rotate (Solanum), or
campanulate (Physalis), or funnel shaped (Datura), or
tubular (Cestrum) or bilabiate (Schizanthus), usually regular
with contorted or imbricate.
Androecium: Stamens 5, epipetalous, polyandrous,
opposite to sepals; alternating with petals; didynamous
(Anthocercis). Filaments appendiculate (Anthocercis).
Anthers dorsifixed, or basifixed; dehiscing by pores
longitudinal slits; usually introrse, tetrasporangiate
Gynoecium: Gynoecium bicarpellary syncarpous, 2-celled
with superior ovary. Gynoecium oblique; styles terminal 1,
stigmas 1–2. Ovules 1–50 per locule on axile placentation.

6. Pollination: Entomophilous
Fruit: A capsule (Datura) or circumscissile
(Hyoscyamus), or a berry (Lycospersicum,
Solanum), or a drupe (Nicandra).
Seed: Numerous, endospermic. Endosperm oily.
Dispersal: Usually by birds
Floral formula:
Br ♀ K3/3+3 C3 + 3 A G

7. Diagnostic characters:
Leaves alternate, exstipulate
Flowers actinomorphic
Stamens five (5)
Carpels two (2)
Ovary superior, 2-chembered with oblique
septum
Ovules numerous on swollen placenta
Fruit a capsule or berry

8. Economic importance:
1. Capsicum annuum L. var. acuminata Mirachi
2. Capsicum annuum L. var. grossa (L.) Sendt.
Dhaboo Mirachi, Simala Mirachi
3. Capsicum frutescens L. Lawangi Mirachi
4. Lycopersicon lycopercicum (L.) Karsten Tomato
5. Solanum melongena L. Wanga, Baingan
6. Solanum nigrum L. Kamuni
7. Solanum tuberosum L. Batata
8. Nicotiana tabacum L. Tambaku
9. Physalis longifolia Nutts. Popati

9. Economic importance:
10. Solanum anguivi Lam. Dorli, Mothi Ringani
11. Solanum virginianum L. Bhui Ringani
12. Datura inoxia Mill. Dhotara
13. Datura metel L. Kala Dhotara
14. Withania somnifera (L.) Ashwagandha
15. Brunfelsia americana L.
16. Cestrum diurnum L.
17. Cestrum nocturnum L. Raat rani
18. Petunia hybrida Vilm.

10. Potato tree
Dhotara
Kaala dhotara
Ashwgandha

11. Bhui ringani Dorli
Popati Tambakhu