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The below mentioned article provides an overview on Order Solanales, Family – Solanaceae. After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Introduction to Order – Solanales 2. Explanation on Family – Solanaceae 3. Economic Importance of Family – Solanaceae.
Introduction to Order – Solanales:
According to Hutchinson this is the seventy-seventh order of the phylum Angiospermae, subphylum Dicotyledones and divison Herbaceae. This order comprises of three families, i.e, Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Nolanaceae, of which first two (i.e., Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae) have been described here in detail.
Bentham and Hooker have placed these families along with three others in their 8th order the Polemoniales of class Dicotyledones, division Gamopetalae and series Bicarpellatae. Engler and Prantl have included these families along with eighteen others including Verbenaceae, Labiatae, Scrophulariaceae, Pedaliaceae, Acanthaceae, etc., in the sixth order the Tubiflorae of class Dicotyledoneae and subclass Sympetalae.
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Corolla actinomorphic to very slightly zygomorphic; stamens the same number and alternate with the corolla-lobes, epipetalous; ovary superior, 4-1-(mostly 2)-locuIar with numerous ovules on axile placentas, or rarely basal. Herbaceous to rarely woody often climbing.
Explanation on Family – Solanaceae:
There are about 85 genera and 2200 species in this family.
Distribution:
The members of this family are primarily distributed in tropical America and South America, but they are also well represented in temperate regions. The largest genus of the family is Solatium which includes about 1500 species. The genera Lycium, Physalis and Nicotiana each containing 100 species.
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Habit:
The species belonging to this family are either erect or climbing herbs, shrubs or small trees. Solanum nigrum is a small annual herb; species of Datura are large annual herbs. Cestrum nocturnum is a shrub.
Root:
Tap or adventitious.
Leaves:
Alternate or becoming opposite at or near the inflorescences, rarely whorled, exstipulate, entire, simple, rarely dissected or pinnate.
Inflorescence:
Cymose usually a typical axillary cyme or combination of cymes, rarely helicoid.
Flowers:
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Usually pedicellate, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, regular (sometimes slightly zygomorphic), hypogynous complete, bracts and bracteoles absent.
Calyx:
5 sepals, gamosepalous (limb usually 5-lobed or-toothed), persistent and often much enlarged in fruit.
Corolla:
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5 petals, gamopetalous, funnel shaped, rotate to tubular, corolla of various shapes but rarely 2-lipped, usually plicate or convolute (rarely valvate).
Androecium:
5 stamens, sometimes 4 and didynamous or not so, or only 2, e.g., Schizanthus; when the stamens are less than five the lost stamen is usually represented by a reduced (staminode). Stamens epipetalous and alternate, the petals, usually not equal in size.
Anthers are 2-celled (dithecous), introrse, dehiscence by longitudinal slit or by apical pore, e.g., in Solarium, the connective sometimes enlarged, usually hypogynous disc present which is quite apparent.
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Gynoecium:
2 carpels (bicarpellary), syncarpous, ovary superior, bilocular (sometimes becomes tetralocular due to false septation), rarely 3-5 celled ovary, placentation axile, ovules usually many on prominently peltate placentas, anatropous or somewhat amphitropous. The carpels placed obliquely in the flowers. Single style, stigma bi-lobed and capitate.
Fruit:
A berry or septicidal capsule.
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Seed:
Albuminous (endospermic) smooth or pitted, curved embryo embedded in the endosperm.
Pollination: (Entomophilous) through the agency of insects.
Some important plants have been described here in semi-technical language:
1. Solanum sp:
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Habit:
Erect or climbing herbs, shrubs or small trees. Most of them are pubescent, some are spiny, and some unarmed.
Leaf:
The leaves are alternate, or sub-opposed in unequal pairs, exstipulate and either lobed or pinnatifid.
Inflorescence:
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The inflorescence may be cymose, racemose, umbellate or rarely panicle, in most cases extra axillary or opposite the leaves.
Calyx:
The calyx is bell-shaped or rotate, 5-lobed or 5-parted, sometimes 10-lobed, rarely 4-lobed or sub-entire accrescent or not in fruit.
Corolla:
The corolla is rotate, rarely campanulate, tube short, limb usually 5-lobed, plicate in bud.
Androecium:
The stamens are 5, rarely 4 or 6, inserted on the corolla throat, filaments short, anthers oblong, often narrowed upwards, connivent round the style, dehiscence by apical pores or short slits, introrse.
Gynoecium:
The ovary is superior bi-celled and many ovuled (rarely 3-4 celled), style simple, linear, stigma small and terminal.
Fruit:
The fruit is globose or elongated berry with persistent calyx.
Seeds:
Many, smooth, discoid.
Generic Characters:
Corolla rotate or campanulate, lobes plicate in bud; anthers connivent in a cone, dehiscence by apical pores; calyx small, persistent sometimes fleshy.
2. Nicotiana sp:
Habit:
Usually herbaceous plants, some species are shrubby or of arbore-scent type; annual or perennial in habit.
Stem:
Usually tall growing, often viscid pubescent, strongly scented with narcotic poisonous properties.
Leaf:
Alternate, simple, entire or rarely sinuate, shortly petiolate or sessile, decurrent.
Inflorescence:
Either panicle or one sided raceme; sometimes lower flowers solitary axillary.
Flower:
Flowers usually large and showy and of different colours (white, yellow, greenish, purple or rosy).
Calyx:
Tubular-campanulate and 5-lobed.
Corolla:
Funnel or salver-shaped, 5-lobed with a long tube.
Androecium:
5 stamens in number, attached near the base of corolla tube, epipetalous; filaments long.
Gynoecium:
Two carpels, syncarpous, superior ovary, bilocular, slender style with capitate stigma.
Fruit:
2-celled capsule splitting at maturity into 2 to 4 valves.
Seeds:
Many and small.
Generic Characters:
Fruit, a capsule; capsule splitting lengthwise; calyx nearly or quite covering the fruit; fruit not spiny.
3. Solanum nigrum; Verna.-Makoi:
Habit:
An annual small wild herb.
Root:
Tap and branched.
Stem:
Erect, branched, herbaceous, cylindrical, solid, glabrous or somewhat hairy.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, cauline, petiolate or sub-sessile, exstipulate, ovate, dentate, acute, unicostate reticulate venation.
Inflorescence:
Cymose, extra-axillary sub-umbellate cyme.
Flower:
Pedicellate, ebracteate, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, pentamerous except pistil, complete, small, white, hypogynous.
Calyx:
5 sepals, gamosepalous, lobes small, oblong, acute, green, hairy, valvate or imbricate aestivation.
Corolla:
5 petals, gamopetalous, rotate, lobes oblong, acute, white, twisted or valvate aestivation.
Androecium:
5 stamens, alternate to petals, polyandrous, epipetalous, filaments short, anthers oblong, connivent in a cone like structure, bicelled, introrse, yellow, dehiscence by apical pores.
Gynoecium:
2 carpels (bicarpellary), syncarpous, ovary obliquely placed in the flower, ovary superior, globose, bilocular, axile placentation, many shining ovules present on placenta, style simple, hairy at the base, stigma one.
Fruit:
Berry with persistent calyx.
4. Petunia nyctaginifolia Juss:
Habit:
An annual ornamental herb.
Root:
Tap and branched.
Stem:
Erect, branched, herbaceous, solid, cylindrical, green and hairy.
Leaf:
Simple, cauline, opposite, decussate, sessile, exstipulate, ovate, entire, acute, multicostate reticulate venation.
Inflorescence:
Cymose, solitary axillary.
Flower:
Pedicellate, pedicel hairy, bracteate, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, regular, complete, hypogynous.
Calyx:
5 sepals, gamosepalous, free above and connate below, green, hairy, quincuncial or imbricate aestivation.
Corolla:
5 petals, gamopetalous, tubular, twisted or imbricate aestivation.
Androecium:
5 stamens, polyandrous, alternate to petals, epipetalous, filaments long, anthers two celled, basifixed.
Gynoecium:
2 carpels (bicarpellary), syncarpous, ovary superior, obliquely placed in the flower, bilocular, axile placentation, numerous ovules in each loculus, style simple, long, stigma bifid.
Fruit:
Capsule
5. Withania somnifera Dunal; Verna. Ashwagandha:
Habit:
A perennial shrub.
Root:
Tap and branched.
Stem:
Erect, aerial basal part woody, terminal part herbaceous, branched, cylindrical, solid, hairy, and green.
Leaf:
Cauline and ramal, exstipulate, petiolate, alternate, simple, ovate, entire, acute, glabrous, coriaceous, unicostate reticulate.
Inflorescence:
Cymose, axillary umbellate cyme.
Flower:
Ebracteate, pedicellate, actinomorphic, regular, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, hypogynous, complete, cyclic.
Calyx:
5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate, persistent, hairy, green, inferior.
Corolla:
5 petals, gamopetalous, valvate, campanulate, whitish-yellow, inferior.
Androecium:
5 stamens, polyandrous, epipetalous, anthers connivent, dithecous, basifixed, introrse.
Gynoecium:
2 carpels (bicarpellary), syncarpous, ovary superior, bilocular, many ovules in each locule, axile placentation, ovary obliquely placed in the flower, placenta swollen, style long, stigma capitate.
Fruit:
Berry
Economic Value:
The root is considered alterative, aphrodisiac, tonic, deobstruent, diuretic, narcotic, abortifacient; used in rheumatism, consumption, debility from old age, emaciation of children, etc.
Cestrum nocturnum Linn.; Verna. Raat-ki-Rani; Eng. Night jessamine.
Habit:
An ornamental perennial shrub.
Stem:
Erect, branched, woody, solid, glabrous and green.
Leaf:
Simple, cauline and ramal, alternate, short petioled, exstipulate, entire, acute, unicostate reticulate venation.
Inflorescence:
Cymose, axillary cymes.
Flower:
Pedicellate, short pedicels, bracteate, hermaphrodite, actinomorpic, white, fragrant, complete, hypogynous, pentamerous and cyclic.
Economic value:
Grown for its flowers, which are scented at night.
Calyx:
5 sepals, gamosepalous, green, valvate aestivation, inferior.
Corolla:
5 petals, gamopetalous, tubular, white, fragrant, valvate aestivation, inferior.
Androecium:
5 stamens, polyandrous, epipetalous, alternate to the petals, filaments long, anthers bicelled, introrse.
Gynoecium:
2 carpels (bicarpellary), syncarpous, ovary superior, obliquely placed in the flower, bilocular, axile placentation, many ovules in each loculus.
Economic Importance of Family – Solanaceae:
Economically the family is fairly important. It comprises of several plants of food value, medicinal, vegetables and ornamentals.
A list of few important plants is given here:
1. Solanum tuberosum; Eng.-Potato; Verna-Alu-The potato is chiefly grown in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and the Punjab. The tubers are used as vegetable, and are also the source of starch. It is naive of South America.
2. Solanum melongena; Eng.-Brinjal: Verna-Baigun-The fruits are eaten as vegetable. It is native of India, and cultivated throughout the country. The seeds are often used as stimulant and the leaves as a narcotic.
3. Solanum ferox; Verna.-Rambegun-This is small prickly herb. The fruits are eaten as vegetable. It is found in Assam and South India.
4. Solanum indicum; Eng.-Indian night shade; Verna.-Bari katai-This is a herb. The fruits are eaten as vegetable. It is found in the sub-Himalayan tract, Assam and the Khasia hills.The roots and the fruits possess several medicinal properties. The fruits are given in colics. The leaves are used in toothache, cough and fevers.
5. Solanum grandiflorum; Eng.-Large flowered night shade, potato tree. This is a shrub or small tree. It is native of South America. Grown in gardens as an ornamental for its large bluish, violet flowers.
6. Solanum Jasminoides; Eng.-Potato vine. This is a climbing shrub. It is native of Brazil. This is a most useful deciduous climber for cool house. It has variegated leaves.
7. Solanum pseudocapsicum- This is a shrub grown as an ornamental in the gardens.
8. Solanum rantonnetii-This is grown as an ornamental in the gardens for its violet-coloured flowers. It is native of Argentina.
9. Solanum xanthocarpum; Verna.-Kateli-This is a common prickly herb. The roots are used in cough, asthma and leaves for rheumatism.
10. Solanum nigrum; Eng.-Black night shade; Verna.-Makoi-It possesses medicinal properties. The fruits are given in fevers; diarrhoea, eye diseases and hydrophobia. The juice of plants is given in chronic enlargements of the liver, in bleeding piles, dysentery, etc. The fruits are edible and very muck liked by the children.
11. Solanum torvum; Verna-Titbaigun-The fruits are used as vegetable. It is found in Orissa, Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.
12. Solanum seaforthianum; Eng.-Potato creeper. It is grown as an ornamental for its blush purple flowers. Native of Brazil.
13. Cyphomandra betacea; Syn. Solanum betaceum’, Eng.-tree tomato-This is a small tree. The fruits are edible. It is native of Peru, but now cultivated in Bengal Assam, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Travancore.
14. Capsicum frutescens; Eng.-Red pepper, chillies; Verna.-Lal Mirch-This is a herb. The fruits are extremely pungent and used as a spice and condiment. According to some authors this species is the synonym of Capsicum annuum; while others consider the two as separate species. It is native of the West Indies and tropical America, now cultivated throughout our country.
15. Nicotiana tabacum; Eng.- Tobacco; Verna-Tambaku-The leaves are used for smoking and also contain alkoloids, which are used as insecticides. The oil obtained from the seeds is used for burning purposes, and is also used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes. The oil cake makes a good manure. The snuffs are prepared from tobacco wastes.
The tobacco dust is used for making khamira tobacco for smoking and manufacture of nicotine sulphate, an insecticide. It is native of tropical America now cultivated mainly in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
16. Nicotiana rustica; Eng.- Turkish or East Indian tobacco; Verna.-Vilaiti-Tambaku-The leaves are used for smoking and for manufacturing insecticides. This is a herb, native of central America, now cultivated in the Punjab, Bihar and Bengal.
17. Datura stramonium; Eng.- Thorn apple; Verna.-Dhatura-This is a common weed. The leaves and seeds are narcotic and sometimes used for criminal poisoning. It is used in medicine in the treatment of asthma. It is native of Asia.
18. Datura innoxia; Verna.- Sadahdhatura-This is a herb. The dried leaves are used in the treatment of asthma. It is native of Mexico, but commonly found in the Western Himalayas and South India.
19. Datura metel; Verna.-Sadahdhatura-The leaves are used in the treatment of asthma.
20. Datura suaveolens; Eng.-Tree datura. This is a small tree. It is grown in gardens for its fragrant creamy-white flowers. This is native of Mexico.
21. Physalis peruviana; Syn. P.edulis’, Eng.-Cape gooseberry; Verna.-Rasbhari, Tipari, Tankari-It is cultivated throughout our country for its edible fruits.
22. Physalis minima; Eng.-Sunberry; Verna.-Papotan, Tulatipati-This is a common herb yielding edible fruits.
21. Physalis ixocarpa; Eng.-Tomatillo. The fruits are used as vegetable. They are also used in making chilli sauce and sometimes as a dressing for meat. It is native of Mexico.
24. Atropa belladonna; Eng.-Belladona; Verna.-Sag-angur-The roots possess medicinal properties. They are used as sedative stimulant and antispasmodic. It is native of Europe, but now grown in Kashmir.
25. Cestrum nocturnum; Eng.-Night Jessamine; Verna.-Raat-ki-Rani-It is grown in the gardens for its fragrant flowers, which are scented at night.
26. Cestrum diurnum; Eng.-Day Jessamine-Verna.-Din-ka-Raja-This is grown in the garden as an ornamental for its fragrant flowers. It is native of the West-Indies.
27. Cestrum aurantiacum-This is u bushy shrub, grown as an ornamental.
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28. Cestrum elegans -It is grown in the gardens as an ornamental. This is native of Mexico.
29. Cestrum parqui; Eng.-Willow-leaved jessamine; Verna.-Rat-ki-Rani-This is grown as an ornamental. It is native of Chile.
30. Petunia axillaris; Syn. P. nyctaginflora’, Eng.-Large white Petunia-This is an ornamental herb grown for its beautiful flowers.
31. Lycopersicon esculentum; Syn. Lycopersicum esculentum; Solanum lycopersicum; Eng.— Tomato; Verna.-Tamatar-This is cultivated for its edible fruits. This is a common herb. It is native of South America.
32. Lycopersicon glandulosum; Eng.-Tomato; The fruits are edible.
33. Lycopersicon peruvianum; Eng.-Tomato; Verna-Tamatar-It is introduced from Great Britain and grown for its edible fruits.
34. Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium; Eng.-Current tomato; Verna.-Tamatar-It has been introduced from United Kingdom and grown for the edible fruits.
35. Lycopersicon pissisi; Eng.-Tomato-The fruits are edible.
36. Withania somnifera; Verna.-Asgand, punir-It contains substances with narcotic and sporific properties. This is a undershrub, found in the drier parts of the country.
37. Withania coagulans; Eng.-Vegetable rennet; Verna.-Akri-The fruits used for coagulating milk. It is found in the Punjab.
Systematic Relationships:
According to Bentham and Hooker the Polemoniales consists of five families, they are-Polemoniaceae. Hydrophyllaceae, Boragineae, Convolvulaceae and Solanaceae; Engler and Prantl have placed all these families in his Tubiflorae along with fifteen other families.
Hutchinson has splitted the order Tubiflorae into a number of smaller groups (orders). He has placed the families Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae and Nolanaceae in the order Solanales.
Rendle separated the Convolvulaceae into a distinct order the Convolvulales, which he also separated from the Tubiflorae. According to the Wettstein the Convolvulaceae may have been originated from the other groups of the Tubiflorae and considers them closely related to the Malvales or Geraniales. Hutchinson has also shown the close systematic relationship of the Geraniales with the Convolvulaceae.
Bentham and Hooker and Bessey included the family Solanaceae among the Polemoniales. Hallier considered the Solanaceae to be primitive member of the Tubiflorae and supposed it to have been derived from Linaceae, Hutchinson considers the family to be primitive most of the order Solanales.
