''Solanum'' is a large and diverse

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

, the

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

and the

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

(aubergine, brinjal). It is the largest genus in the

nightshade Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...

family

Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...

, comprising around 1,500 species. It also contains the so-called horse nettles (unrelated to the genus of true nettles, ''

Urtica ''Urtica'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles (the latter name applying particularly to ''Urtica dioica, U. dioica''). The generic name ''Urtica' ...

''), as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit. ''Solanum'' species show a wide range of

growth habit Habit, equivalent to habitus in some applications in biology, refers variously to aspects of behaviour or structure, as follows: *In zoology (particularly in ethology), ''habit'' usually refers to aspects of more or less predictable ''behaviour' ...

s, such as annuals and

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s, and small

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s. Many formerly independent genera like ''

Lycopersicon ''Lycopersicon'' was a genus in the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshades and relatives). It contained about 13 species in the tomato group of nightshades. First removed from the genus ''Solanum'' by Philip Miller in 1754, its remov ...

'' (the tomatoes) and ''

Cyphomandra ''Cyphomandra'' was a formerly accepted genus in the plant family Solanaceae (the nightshades and relative). It used to contain about 35 species native to the Americas from Mexico southwards to Northern Argentina. Recent authors have treated ' ...

'' are now included in ''Solanum'' as

subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

section Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

s. Thus, the genus today contains roughly 1,500–2,000

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Name

The generic name was first used by

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

(AD 23–79) for a plant also known as , most likely ''S. nigrum''. Its derivation is uncertain, possibly stemming from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

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 ''Solanum dulcamara'' is a species of vine in the genus ''Solanum'' (which also includes the potato and the tomato) of the family Solanaceae. Common names include bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, bitter nightshade, blue bindweed, Amara Dulci ...

'', also called bittersweet or woody nightshade (so-called because it is a (

scandent A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Day ...

)

). Its foliage and egg-shaped red berries are poisonous, the active principle being

solanine Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the Solanaceae, nightshade family within the genus ''Solanum'', such as the potato (''Solanum tuberosum''). It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including the Leaf, leaves, frui ...

, which can cause convulsions and death if taken in large doses. Black nightshades (many species in the ''

Solanum nigrum ''Solanum nigrum'', the European black nightshade or simply black nightshade or blackberry nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa. Ripe ...

'' complex, ''Solanum'' sect. ''Solanum'') have varying levels of toxins and are considered too toxic to eat by many people in North America and Europe, but young stems and leaves or fully ripened fruit of various species are cooked and eaten by native people in North America, Africa, and Asia. Deadly nightshade (''

Atropa belladonna ''Atropa bella-donna'', commonly known as deadly nightshade or belladonna, is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. It is native to Europe and Western Asia, i ...

'') belongs, like ''Solanum'', to subfamily

Solanoideae Solanoideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Solanaceae, and is sister to the subfamily Nicotianoideae. Within Solanaceae, Solanoideae contains some of the most economically important genera and species, such as the tomato (''Solanum ...

of the nightshade family, but, unlike that genus, is a member of

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Hyoscyameae Hyoscyameae is an Old World Tribe (biology), tribe of the subfamily Solanoideae of the flowering plant family Solanaceae. It comprises seven genera: ''Anisodus'', ''Atropa'', ''Atropanthe'', ''Hyoscyamus'', ''Physochlaina'', ''Przewalskia'' and ' ...

(''Solanum'' belongs to tribe Solaneae). The chemistry of ''

Atropa ''Atropa'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae: tall, calcicole, herbaceous perennials (rhizomatous hemicryptophytes), bearing large leaves and glossy berries particularly dangerous to children, due to their combi ...

'' species is very different from that of Solanum species and features the very toxic

tropane alkaloid Tropane alkaloids are a class of bicyclic .2.1alkaloids and secondary metabolites that contain a tropane ring in their chemical structure. Tropane alkaloids occur naturally in many members of the plant family Solanaceae. Certain tropane alkaloi ...

s, the best-known of which is

atropine Atropine is a tropane alkaloid and anticholinergic medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings as well as some types of slow heart rate, and to decrease saliva production during surgery. It is typically give ...

Taxonomy

The genus was established by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

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

and

s might not be valid; they are used here provisionally as the

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or Taxon, taxa during a specific time.Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, M ...

of this genus is not fully resolved yet and many species have not been reevaluated.

Cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...

analyses of

DNA sequence A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the nu ...

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 ''

''.

Subgenus ''Bassovia''

Section ''Allophylla'' * '' Solanum granuloso-leprosum'' Section ''Cyphomandropsis'' * '' Solanum glaucophyllum'' Desf. – Waxy-leaved nightshade Section ''Pachyphylla'' * '' Solanum betaceum'' Cav. – Tamarillo * ''

Solanum exiguum ''Solanum exiguum'' is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geog ...

'' * ''

Solanum roseum ''Solanum roseum'' is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geogr ...

Subgenus ''Leptostemonum''

Section ''Acanthophora'' * ''

Solanum aculeatissimum ''Solanum aculeatissimum'', known as Dutch eggplant, and love-apple, is a weedy shrub that bears small, 2–3 cm pale yellow fruit following white flowers with characteristic ''Solanum'' yellow stamens. Origin and range Where ''S. aculeatis ...

'' Jacq. – Indian nightshade * '' Solanum atropurpureum'' Schrank – Five-minute plant * '' Solanum capsicoides'' – Cockroach berry, ''polohauaiʻi'' ( Polynesian) * ''

Solanum mammosum ''Solanum mammosum'', commonly known as nipplefruit, fox head, cow's udder, or apple of Sodom, is an inedible Pan-American tropical fruit. The plant is grown for ornamental purposes, in part because of the Anatomical terms of location#Proximal a ...

'' –

Nipplefruit ''Solanum mammosum'', commonly known as nipplefruit, fox head, cow's udder, or apple of Sodom, is an inedible Pan-American tropical fruit. The plant is grown for ornamental purposes, in part because of the Anatomical terms of location#Proximal a ...

, titty fruit, cow's udder, apple of Sodom * '' Solanum palinacanthum'' Dunal * ''

Solanum viarum ''Solanum viarum'', the tropical soda apple, is a species of perennial shrub native to Brazil and Argentina with a prickly stem and prickly leaves. The fruit is golf-ball-sized with the coloration of a watermelon. It is considered an invasive s ...

'' 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 ''Solanum incompletum'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae known by the common names thorny popolo and ''popolo ku mai'' (''popolo'' being a term for any ''Solanum'' species and similar berry-bearing plants). It is End ...

'' Dunal – ''Pōpolo kū mai'' (

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

) * '' Solanum nelsonii'' Dunal – Nelson's horsenettle, ''Ākia'' (Hawaii) * '' Solanum sandwicense'' Hook. & Arn. – Hawaiian horsenettle, ''Pōpoloaiakeakua'' (

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

) Section ''Ischyracanthum''
Section ''Lasiocarpa'' * ''

Solanum lasiocarpum ''Solanum lasiocarpum'', synonym ''Solanum ferox'' L., otherwise known as Indian nightshade or hairy-fruited eggplant, is a plant that produces edible fruit. Its flowers are white and its fruits are pale yellow. ''S. lasiocarpum'' is found wild ...

'' Dunal * '' Solanum pseudolulo'' – ''lulo de perro'' (Colombia) * ''

Solanum quitoense ''Solanum quitoense'', known as naranjilla (, "little orange") in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama and as lulo (, from Quechua) in Colombia, is a tropical perennial plant from northwestern South America. The specific name for this species of ni ...

'' – ''

lulo ''Solanum quitoense'', known as naranjilla (, "little orange (fruit), orange") in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama and as lulo (, from Quechua languages, Quechua) in Colombia, is a tropical perennial plant from northwestern South America. The spec ...

'' (

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

), ''naranjilla'' (

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

) * '' Solanum sessiliflorum'' – Cocona Section ''Melongena'' * '' Solanum aculeastrum'' –

Soda apple ''Solanum aculeastrum'' is commonly known as soda apple, sodaapple nightshade, goat apple, poison apple, or more ambiguously as "bitter-apple". It is a poisonous nightshade species from Africa and only distantly related to true apples. The term " ...

, sodaapple nightshade, goat apple, poison apple, "

bitter-apple ''Citrullus colocynthis'', with many common names including Abu Jahl's melon, (native name in Turkey) colocynth, bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, vine of Sodom, or wild gourd, is a poisonous desert viny plant native to the Mediterranean ...

" * ''

Solanum campechiense ''Solanum campechiense'', the redberry nightshade, is a plant in the family Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several ...

'' – Redberry nightshade * '' Solanum carolinense'' –

Carolina horsenettle ''Solanum carolinense'', the Carolina horsenettle, is not a Urtica, true nettle, but a member of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family. It is a Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant, native to the southeastern United States, though its rang ...

, radical weed, sand brier, devil's tomato, " bull nettle", "tread-softly", "apple of Sodom", "wild tomato" (

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

) * '' Solanum cataphractum'' (northern

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, including

Coronation Island Coronation Island is the largest of the South Orkney Islands, long and from wide. The island extends in a general east–west direction, is mainly ice-covered and comprises numerous bays, glaciers and peaks, the highest rising to . History T ...

) * '' Solanum citrullifolium'' A.Braun – Watermelon nightshade (southern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

) * '' Solanum dimidiatum'' Raf. – Torrey's nightshade * ''

Solanum elaeagnifolium ''Solanum elaeagnifolium'', the silverleaf nightshade or silver-leaved nightshade, is a species of plant in the Solanaceae, nightshade family native to North and South America. It is common in parts of southwestern USA, and sometimes weed of wes ...

'' – 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 ''Solanum macrocarpon'' otherwise known as the African eggplant (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Igba) (Igbo language/ Igbo): añara), Surinamese eggplant (Sranan Tongo, Sranang Tongo: Antroewa / Antruwa) or Vietnamese eggplant (Vietnamese language, ...

'' L. * '' Solanum marginatum'' L.f. – White-margined nightshade * ''

Solanum melongena Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

'' –

Eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

, aubergine (including ''S. ovigerum'') * '' Solanum rostratum'' Dunal – Buffalo bur, Texas thistle * ''

Solanum sisymbriifolium ''Solanum sisymbriifolium'' is commonly known as vila-vila, sticky nightshade, red buffalo-bur, the fire-and-ice plant, litchi tomato, or Morelle de Balbis. The small edible fruits are red on the outside and yellow inside. It grows inside a spi ...

'' Lam. – Sticky nightshade, fire-and-ice * '' Solanum virginianum'' L. Section ''Micracantha'' * '' Solanum jamaicense'' Mill. – Jamaican nightshade * ''

Solanum lanceifolium ''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 ...

'' Jacq. – Lance-leaved nightshade * '' Solanum tampicense'' Dunal – Wetland nightshade Section ''Monodolichopus''
Section ''Nycterium''
Section ''Oliganthes'' * ''

Solanum aethiopicum ''Solanum aethiopicum'', the bitter tomato, Ethiopian eggplant, or nakati, is a fruiting plant of the genus ''Solanum'' mainly found in Asia and Tropical Africa. It is also known as Ethiopian nightshade, garden eggs, pumpkin-on-a-stick, and moc ...

'' –

Ethiopian eggplant ''Solanum aethiopicum'', the bitter tomato, Ethiopian eggplant, or nakati, is a fruiting plant of the genus ''Solanum'' mainly found in Asia and Tropical Africa. It is also known as Ethiopian nightshade, garden eggs, pumpkin-on-a-stick, and moc ...

, nakati, mock tomato, Ethiopian nightshade; including ''S. gilo'' (

scarlet eggplant The scarlet eggplant is a fruiting plant of the genus ''Solanum'', related to the tomato and eggplant. Its green fruit is known as gilo (Brazilian Portuguese: jiló, from Kimbundu njilu). It was once treated as a distinct species, ''Solanum g ...

, Gilo or ''jiló'') * '' Solanum centrale'' – Australian desert raisin, bush raisin, bush sultana, " bush tomato", ''akatjurra'' (

Alyawarre The Alyawarre, also spelt Alyawarr and also known as the Iliaura, are an Aboriginal Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. The Alyawarre are made up of roughly 1,200 associated peoples and actively engage in local tra ...

), ''kampurarpa'' (

Pitjantjatjara The Pitjantjatjara (; or ) are an Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert near Uluru. They are closely related to the Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra and their languages are, to a large extent, mutually intelligible (all are v ...

), ''merne akatyerre'' (

Arrernte Arrernte (also spelt Aranda, etc.) is a descriptor related to a group of Aboriginal Australian peoples from Central Australia. It may refer to: * Arrernte (area), land controlled by the Arrernte Council (?) * Arrernte people, Aboriginal Australi ...

), ''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 ''Lycopersicon'' was a genus in the flowering plant family (biology), family Solanaceae (the nightshades and relatives). It contained about 13 species in the tomato group of nightshades. First removed from the genus ''Solanum'' by Philip Miller ...

" (Australia) Section ''Persicariae'' * ''

Solanum bahamense ''Solanum bahamense'', commonly known as the Bahama nightshade, is a plant in the nightshade family. It is native across the West Indies, from the Florida Keys east to Dominica (excluding Hispaniola). It is a common species in coastal habitats, ...

'' 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 ''Solanum lanceolatum'', with the common names orangeberry nightshade and lanceleaf nightshade, is a species of nightshade. It is native to regions of South America, including the Cerrado ecoregion of the Tropical and subtropical grasslands, sava ...

'' – Orangeberry nightshade * '' Solanum paniculatum'' – Jurubeba * ''

Solanum torvum ''Solanum torvum'', also known as pendejera, turkey berry, devil's fig, pea eggplant, platebrush or susumber, is a bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant used horticulturally as a rootstock for eggplant. Grafted plants are very vigorous and t ...

'' – 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 ''Solanum aviculare'', commonly known as kangaroo apple or New Zealand nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae and native to New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. Description ''Solanum aviculare'' is an e ...

'' –

Poroporo ''Solanum aviculare'', commonly known as kangaroo apple or New Zealand nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae and native to New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. Description ''Solanum aviculare'' is an e ...

(New Zealand), kangaroo apple (Australia) Section ''Basarthrum'' * '' Solanum catilliflorum'' * ''

Solanum muricatum ''Solanum muricatum'' is a species of evergreen shrub native to South America and grown for its sweet edible fruit. It is known as ''pepino dulce'' ("sweet cucumber" in English, in order to differentiate it from cucumber which is also called " ...

'' – 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 ''Solanum mauritianum'' is a small tree or shrub native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its common names include earleaf nightshade (or "ear-leaved nightshade"), woolly nightshade, flannel we ...

'' – Woolly nightshade, ear-leaved nightshade, flannel weed, bugweed, tobacco weed, kerosene plant, "wild tobacco" (Australia) * '' Solanum evolvuloides'' Section ''Dulcamara'' * ''

Solanum crispum ''Solanum crispum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Solanaceae''. It is native to Chile and Peru. Common names include Chilean potato vine, Chilean nightshade, Chilean potato tree and potato vine. Growing to tall, it is a semi-e ...

'' – Chilean potato vine, Chilean nightshade, Chilean potato tree * ''

'' – Bittersweet * '' Solanum imbaburense'' * ''

Solanum laxum ''Solanum laxum'', commonly known as potato vine, potato climber or jasmine nightshade, is an evergreen vine in the family Solanaceae. It is native to South America and commonly grown as an ornamental garden plant. Description The jasmine-flow ...

'' Spreng. – Jasmine nightshade * '' Solanum leiophyllum'' * ''

Solanum seaforthianum ''Solanum seaforthianum'', the Brazilian nightshade, is a flowering evergreen vine of the family Solanaceae native to tropical South America. As a member of the ''Solanum'' genus, it is related to such plants as the tomato and potato. It is char ...

'' Andrews – Brazilian nightshade * '' Solanum triquetrum'' Cav. – Texas nightshade * '' Solanum wallacei'' – Wallace's nightshade, Catalina nightshade, Clokey's nightshade, "

" (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 ''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 ...

'' Section ''Lycopersicon'' * ''

Solanum arcanum ''Solanum arcanum'' is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae in section ''Lycopersicon'', the tomatoes, Endemism, endemic to Peru. Description ''Solanum arcanum'' is a perennial Inflorescences are between in siz ...

'' Peralta – "

" * '' Solanum chilense'' * '' Solanum corneliomulleri'' * '' Solanum huaylasense'' Peralta * ''

Solanum peruvianum ''Solanum peruvianum'' (syn. ''Lycopersicon peruvianum'') is a species of wild tomato in the family Solanaceae. It is native to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Peru, and northern Chile, and has been introduced to California. Some authorities con ...

'' L. – Peruvian nightshade, "

" * '' Solanum cheesmaniae'' (L.Riley) Fosberg * '' Solanum chmielewskii'' * '' Solanum galapagense'' S.C.Darwin & Peralta * '' Solanum habrochaites'' * ''

Solanum lycopersicum The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

'' – Tomato * ''

Solanum neorickii ''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 ...

'' * ''

Solanum pennellii ''Solanum pennellii'' (syn. ''Lycopersicon pennellii'') is a species of wild tomato in the family Solanaceae. It is native to the Galápagos Islands, Peru, and northern Chile. It is being extensively studied for its drought resistance and other t ...

'' * ''

Solanum pimpinellifolium ''Solanum pimpinellifolium'', commonly known as the currant tomato or pimp, is a wild species of tomato native to Ecuador and Peru but naturalized elsewhere, such as the Galápagos Islands. Its small fruits are edible, and it is commonly grown in ...

'' –

Currant tomato ''Solanum pimpinellifolium'', commonly known as the currant tomato or pimp, is a wild species of tomato native to Ecuador and Peru but Introduced species, naturalized elsewhere, such as the Galápagos Islands. Its small fruits are edible, and it ...

Section ''Macronesiotes''
Section ''Normania'' * †'' Solanum nava'' (?) Section ''Petota'' * ''

Solanum albornozii ''Solanum albornozii'' is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east a ...

'' * '' Solanum bulbocastanum'' – Ornamental nightshade * ''

Solanum bukasovii ''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 ...

'' 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 ''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 ...

'' Schltdl. – Tigna potato, Fendler's horsenettle * '' Solanum stenotomum'' (including ''S. goniocalyx'') * '' Solanum ternatum'' (including ''S. ternifolium'') * ''

Solanum tuberosum The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

'' – Potato Section ''Pteroidea''
Section ''Quadrangulare''
Section ''Regmandra''
Section ''Solanum'' * '' Solanum adscendens'' Sendtner – Sonoita nightshade (

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

) * '' Solanum americanum'' Mill. – American nightshade, American black nightshade, West Indian nightshade, glossy nightshade (

) * ''

Solanum chenopodioides ''Solanum chenopodioides'', commonly known as the whitetip nightshade or velvety nightshade, is a shrub of the family Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It con ...

'' Lam. – Goosefoot nightshade, slender nightshade (including ''S. gracilius'') * '' Solanum douglasii'' Dunal – Green-spotted nightshade * '' Solanum alatum'' – Eastern black nightshade * '' Solanum interius'' Rydb. * Solanum melongena L. * '' Solanum nigrescens'' M.Martens & Galeotti – Divine nightshade * ''

'' L. – European black nightshade, " black nightshade" * ''S. nigrum guineense'' – "Garden Huckleberry" * '' Solanum pseudogracile'' Heiser – Glowing 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 chrysasteroides'' is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the e ...

'' * '' Solanum cinnamomeum'' * '' Solanum conocarpum'' Rich. ex Dunal – Marron bacoba * '' Solanum cowiei'' Martine * '' Solanum cremastanthemum'' * '' Solanum crinitum'' * '' 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 ''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 ...

'' 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 ''Solanum lycocarpum'', or wolf apple, is common in the Brazilian Cerrado ecoregion. The plant is called ''lobeira'' ("wolf's plant") or ''fruta-do-lobo'' ("wolf's fruit") in Portuguese. The name "wolf apple" comes from the fact that they accou ...

, ''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 ''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 ...

'' Dunal * '' Solanum rugosum'' Dunal – '' tabacon aspero'' * '' Solanum sibundoyense'' * '' Solanum sodiroi'' (including ''S. carchiense'') * '' Solanum sycocarpum'' * '' Solanum tenuipes'' Bartlett – Fancy nightshade * '' Solanum tobagense'' * ''

Solanum trilobatum ''Solanum trilobatum'' is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is native to India, Sri Lanka and mainland Southeast Asia. It is used as a medicinal herb. Description ''Solanum trilobatum'' is a delicate, tropical perennial pl ...

'' L. * '' Solanum umbelliferum'' –

Bluewitch nightshade ''Solanum umbelliferum'' is a species of nightshade known commonly as bluewitch nightshade, or bluewitch. It can be found in chaparral habitat and low-elevation oak woodlands in California and parts of Baja California and Arizona. It is a small ...

* '' Solanum violaceum'' Ortega * ''

Solanum viride ''Solanum viride'', the green nightshade, garland berry, cannibal's tomato, poroporo or boro dina, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to the Cook Islands, Fiji, Marquesas Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, Samoan ...

'' 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'') * '' Cordia alliodora'' (as ''S. mucronatum'') * ''

Lycianthes biflora ''Lycianthes'' is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), found in both the Old World and the New World, but predominantly in the latter. It contains over 150 species, mostly from tropical America, with 35-40 species in Asia an ...

'' (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 ''Lycianthes rantonnetii'', the blue potato bush or Paraguay nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to South America. Growing to about tall and broad, it is a rounded evergreen shrub with a somew ...

'' (as ''S. rantonnetii'', ''S. urbanum'' var. ''ovatifolium'' and var. ''typicum'') * Undetermined species of ''

Lycianthes ''Lycianthes'' is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), found in both the Old World and the New World, but predominantly in the latter. It contains over 150 species, mostly from tropical America, with 35-40 species in Asia an ...

'' have been referred to under names such as '' S. chrysophyllum'', ''S. ciliatum'' Blume ex Miq., ''S. corniculatum'' Hiern, '' S. lanuginosum'', ''S. retrofractum'' var. ''acuminatum'', ''S. violaceum'' Blume, ''S. violifolium'' f. ''typicum'', ''S. virgatum'' notst ''β albiflorum'', ''S. uniflorum'' Lag. or ''S. uniflorum'' var. ''berterianum''.

Ecology

''Solanum'' species are used as food plants by the

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species (

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

and

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

s).

Toxicity

Most parts of the plants, especially the green parts and unripe fruit, are

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

ous to humans (although not necessarily to other animals), with some species even being deadly.

Uses

Many species in the genus bear some edible parts, such as

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

, or

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

s. Three crops in particular have been bred and harvested for consumption by humans for centuries, and are now cultivated on a global scale: *

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

, ''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 The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

, ''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''. *

(also known as brinjal or aubergine), ''S. melongena'' Other species are significant food crops regionally, such as Ethiopian eggplant or

('' S. aethiopicum''), naranjilla or lulo ('' S. quitoense''), cocona ('' S. sessiliflorum''), turkey berry ('' S. torvum''), pepino or pepino melon ('' S. muricatum''), tamarillo ('' S. betaceum''), wolf apple ('' S. lycocarpum''), garden huckleberry (''

S. scabrum ''Solanum scabrum'', also known as garden huckleberry, is an annual or perennial plant in the nightshade family. The geographic origin of the species is uncertain; Linnaeus attributed it to Africa, but it also occurs in North America, and it is n ...

'') and " bush tomatoes" (several

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n 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

Several species are locally used in

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

, particularly by native people who have long employed them.

References

External links

* *
Meet the TomTato: Tomatoes and potatoes grown as one – CBS News
(September 26, 2013) {{Authority control Solanaceae genera Medicinal plants