Solanum

For the Solanum Virus, see The Zombie Survival Guide.

"Horsenettle" and variants redirect here. If used for a particular species, this name usually applies to the Carolina Horsenettle (S. carolinense).

Solanum
Brazilian Nightshade (Solanum seaforthianum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Subfamily:	Solanoideae
Tribe:	Solaneae
Genus:	Solanum L.[1]
Subgenera
Bassovia Leptostemonum Lyciosolanum Solanum (but see text)
Synonyms
Androcera Nutt. Aquartia Jacq. Artorhiza Raf. Bassovia Aubl. Battata Hill Bosleria A.Nelson Ceranthera Raf. Cliocarpus Miers Cyphomandra Mart. ex Sendtn. Diamonon Raf. Dulcamara Moench Lycopersicon Mill. Melongena Mill. Normania Lowe Nycterium Vent. Ovaria Fabr. Parmentiera Raf. (non DC.: preoccupied) Petagnia Raf. Pheliandra Werderm. Pseudocapsicum Medik. Scubulus Raf. Solanastrum Fabr. Solanocharis Bitter Solanopsis Bitter Triguera Cav.

Solanum, the nightshades, horsenettles and relatives, is a large and diverse genus of annual and perennial plants. They grow as forbs, vines, subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees, and often have attractive fruit and flowers. Many formerly independent genera like Lycopersicon (the tomatoes) or Cyphomandra are included in Solanum as subgenera or sections today. Thus, the genus nowadays contains roughly 1,500-2,000 species. The species usually most commonly called nightshade in North America and England is Solanum dulcamara, also called bittersweet and woody nightshade. Its foliage and egg-shaped red berries are poisonous, the active principle being solanine, which can cause convulsions and death if taken in large doses. The black nightshade (S. nigrum) is also generally considered poisonous, but its fully ripened fruit and foliage are cooked and eaten in some areas.

The generic name was first used by Pliny the Elder (23-79) for a plant also known as strychnos, most likely S. nigrum. Its derivation is uncertain, possibly stemming from the Latin word sol, meaning "sun," referring to its status as a plant of the sun. Another possibility is that the root was solare, meaning "to soothe," or solamen, meaning "a comfort," which would refer to the soothing effects of the plant upon ingestion.^[2]

Most parts of the plants, especially the green parts and unripe fruit, are poisonous to humans (although not necessarily to other animals), but many species in the genus bear some edible parts, such as fruits, leaves, or tubers. Several species are cultivated, including three globally important food crops:

• Tomato, S. lycopersicum
• Potato, S. tuberosum
• Eggplant, S. melongena

Other species are significant food crops regionally, such as Ethiopian Eggplant and gilo (S. aethiopicum), naranjilla or lulo (S. quitoense), Turkey Berry (S. torvum), pepino (S. muricatum), or the "bush tomatoes" (several Australian species).

While most medical relevance of Solanum is due to poisonings which are not uncommon and may be fatal, several species are locally used in folk medicine, particularly by native peoples who have long employed them. Giant Devil's-fig (S. chrysotrichum) has been shown to be an effective treatment for seborrhoeic dermatitis in a scientific study.^[3]

Solanum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths) - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Solanum.

Systematics

See also: List of Solanum species

The genus was established by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.^[4] 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.^[4] Many of the subgenera and sections might not be valid; they are used here provisionally as the phylogeny of this genus is not fully resolved yet and many species have not been reevaluated.

Cladistic analyses of DNA sequence data suggests 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 Cyphomandra.^[5]

Subgenus Bassovia

Section Allophylla

• Solanum granuloso-leprosum

Section Cyphomandropsis

• Solanum glaucophyllum Desf. – Waxy-leaved Nightshade

Section Pachyphylla

• Solanum betaceum Cav. – Tamarillo
• Solanum exiguum
• Solanum roseum

Subgenus Leptostemonum

Solanum palinacanthum

Five-minute Plant (S. atropurpureum) fruit

Shrubby Nightshade (S. robustum) flowers

Giant Potatocreeper (S. wendlandii) flowers

Porcupine Tomato (S. pyracanthum) fruit

Section Acanthophora Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq. – Indian Nightshade Solanum atropurpureum Schrank – Five-minute Plant Solanum capsicoides – Cockroach Berry, polohauaiʻi (Polynesian) Solanum mammosum – Nipplefruit, Titty Fruit, Cow's Udder, "apple of Sodom" Solanum palinacanthum Dunal Solanum viarum Dunal – Tropical Soda Apple Section Androceras: 12 spp.[1] 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[verification needed] Section Herposolanum Solanum wendlandii Hook.f. – Giant Potatocreeper Section Irenosolanum Solanum incompletum Dunal – Pōpolo kū mai (Hawaiʻi) Solanum nelsonii Dunal – Nelson's Horsenettle, ʻĀkia (Hawaiʻi) Solanum sandwicense Hook. & Arn. – Hawaiian Horsenettle, Pōpoloʻaiakeakua (Oʻahu, Kauaʻi) Section Ischyracanthum Section Lasiocarpa Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal Solanum quitoense – lulo (Colombia), naranjilla (Ecuador) Solanum sessiliflorum – Cocona Section Melongena Solanum aculeastrum – Soda Apple, Sodaapple Nightshade, Goat Apple, Poison Apple, "bitter-apple" Solanum campechiense – Redberry Nightshade Solanum carolinense – Carolina Horsenettle, Radical Weed, Sand Brier, Devil's Tomato, "bull nettle", "tread-softly", "apple of Sodom", "wild tomato" (southeastern United States) Solanum citrullifolium A.Braun – Watermelon Nightshade (southern United States) Solanum dimidiatum Raf. – Torrey's Nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium – 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 L. Solanum marginatum L.f. – White-margined Nightshade Solanum melongena – Eggplant, Aubergine (including S. ovigerum) Solanum rostratum Dunal – Buffalo Bur, Texas Thistle Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. – Sticky Nightshade, fire-and-ice Solanum virginianum L.

Section Micracantha Solanum jamaicense Mill. – Jamaican Nightshade Solanum lanceifolium Jacq. – Lance-leaved Nightshade Solanum tampicense Dunal – Wetland Nightshade Section Monodolichopus Section Nycterium Section Oliganthes Solanum aethiopicum – Ethiopian Eggplant, Nakati, Mock Tomato, Ethiopian Nightshade; including S. gilo (Scarlet Eggplant, Gilo or jiló) Solanum centrale – Australian Desert Raisin, Bush Raisin, Bush Sultana, "bush tomato", akatjurra (Alyawarre), kampurarpa (Pitjantjatjara), merne akatyerre (Arrernte), kutjera Solanum cleistogamum – "bush tomato", merne mwanyerne (Arrernte) Solanum ellipticum – Potato Bush, "bush tomato" Solanum pyracanthon Lam. – Porcupine Tomato, Devil's Thorn Solanum quadriloculatum F.Muell. – "bush tomato", "wild tomato" (Australia) Section Persicariae Solanum bahamense 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 – Orangeberry Nightshade Solanum paniculatum – Jurubeba Solanum torvum – Turkey Berry, Devil's Fig, Prickly Nightshade, Shoo-shoo Bush, Wild Eggplant, Pea Eggplant

Subgenus Lyciosolanum

• Solanum guineense L.

Subgenus Solanum sensu stricto

Solanum erianthum

Jasmine Nightshade (S. laxum) flowers

Currant Tomato (S. pimpinellifolium) fruit

Andean black potatoes (S. tuberosum)

Turkey Berry (S. torvum) flowers

Yellow Nightshade (S. villosum) fruit

Section Afrosolanum Section Anarrhichomenum Section Archaesolanum Solanum aviculare – Poroporo (New Zealand), Kangaroo Apple (Australia) Section Basarthrum Solanum muricatum – Pepino dulce, pepino melon, melon pear, "pepino", "tree melon" Solanum tergosericeum[6] Section Benderianum Section Brevantherum Solanum bullatum Solanum erianthum D.Don – Potato Tree, "Mullein Nightshade" Solanum mauritianum – Woolly Nightshade, Ear-leaved Nightshade, Flannel Weed, Bugweed, Tobacco Weed, Kerosene Plant, "wild tobacco" (Australia) Section Dulcamara Solanum crispum – Chilean Potato Vine, Chilean Nightshade, Chilean Potato Tree Solanum dulcamara – Bittersweet Solanum imbaburense Solanum laxum Spreng. – Jasmine Nightshade Solanum leiophyllum Solanum seaforthianum Andrews – Brazilian Nightshade Solanum triquetrum Cav. – Texas Nightshade Solanum wallacei – Wallace's Nightshade, Catalina Nightshade, Clokey's Nightshade, "wild tomato" (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 Section Lemurisolanum Section Lycopersicoides Solanum lycopersicoides Dunal – Peruvian Wolfpeach Section Lycopersicon Solanum arcanum Peralta – "wild tomato" Solanum cheesmaniae (L.Riley) Fosberg Solanum galapagense S.C.Darwin & Peralta Solanum huaylasense Peralta Solanum lycopersicum – Tomato Solanum peruvianum L. – Peruvian Nightshade, "wild tomato" Solanum pimpinellifolium – Currant Tomato

Section Macronesiotes Section Normania Section Petota Solanum albornozii Solanum bulbocastanum – Ornamental Nightshade Solanum bukasovii 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 Schltdl. – Tigna Potato, Fendler's Horsenettle Solanum stenotomum (including S. goniocalyx) Solanum ternatum (including S. ternifolium) Solanum tuberosum – Potato Section Pteroidea Section Quadrangulare Section Regmandra Section Solanum Solanum adscendens Sendtner – Sonoita Nightshade (Americas) Solanum americanum Mill. – American Nightshade, American Black Nightshade, Glossy Nightshade (Americas, Hawaiʻi) Solanum chenopodioides Lam. – Goosefoot Nightshade, Slender Nightshade (including S. gracilius) Solanum douglasii Dunal – Green-spotted Nightshade Solanum interius Rydb. Solanum nigrescens M.Martens & Galeotti – Divine Nightshade Solanum nigrum L. – European Black Nightshade, "black nightshade" Solanum pseudogracile Heiser – Glowing Nightshade Solanum ptychanthum – West Indian Nightshade, Eastern Black 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

Forked Nightshade (S. furcatum)

Bluewitch Nightshade (S. umbelliferum) flowers

Solanum amygdalifolium Steud. Solanum bellum Solanum cajanumense Solanum chimborazense Solanum chrysasteroides Solanum cinnamomeum Solanum conocarpum Rich. ex Dunal – Marron Bacoba Solanum cremastanthemum 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 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, 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 riedlei Dunal – Riedle's Nightshade Solanum rudepannum Dunal Solanum rugosum Dunal – tabacon aspero Solanum sibundoyense Solanum sodiroi (including S. carchiense) Solanum sycocarpum Solanum tenuipes Bartlett – Fancy Nightshade Solanum tobagense Solanum trilobatum L. Solanum umbelliferum – Bluewitch Nightshade Solanum verrogeneum Berengena Solanum violaceum Ortega Solanum viride Spreng. – Green Nightshade Solanum woodburyi Howard – Woodbury's Nightshade

Formerly placed here

Lycianthes rantonnetii and its congeners were often placed in Solanum

Some plants of yet other genera also were placed in Solanum in former times:

• Chamaesaracha coronopus (as S. coronopus)
• Lycianthes biflora (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 (as S. rantonnetii, S. urbanum var. ovatifolium and var. typicum)
• Undetermined species of Lycianthes have been referred to under names such as S. chrysophyllum, S. ciliatum Blume ex Miq., S. corniculatum Hiern, S. lanuginosum, S. loxense, S. mucronatum, S. retrofractum var. acuminatum, S. violaceum Blume, S. violifolium f. typicum, S. virgatum notst ß albiflorum, S. uniflorum Lag. or S. uniflorum var. berterianum.

References

1. ^ "Solanum L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2009-09-01. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11264. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
2. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. 4 R-Z. Taylor and Francis US. p. 2058. ISBN 978-0-8493-2678-3. http://books.google.com/?id=2ndDtX-RjYkC. 
3. ^ Herrera-Arellano, A.; Jiménez-Ferrer, E.; Vega-Pimentel, A.M.; Martínez-Rivera, Mde.L.; Hernández-Hernández, M.; Zamilpa, A. & Tortoriello, J. (2004). "Clinical and mycological evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness of Solanum chrysotrichum standardized extract on patients with Pityriasis capitis (dandruff). A double blind and randomized clinical trial controlled with ketoconazole". Planta Medica 70 (6): 483–488. doi:10.1055/s-2004-827145. PMID 15241887. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Solanum Phylogeny". Solanaceae Source. Natural History Museum. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/solanaceaesource/taxonomy/phylogeny/index.jsp. Retrieved 2009-11-01. 
5. ^ Agricultural Research Service (13 April 2006). "Genus: Solanum L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11264. Retrieved 2009-11-01. 
6. ^ Ochoa, C. M. (2006). Solanum tergosericeum (Solanaceae sect. Basarthrum): A new species from Peru. Phytologia 88:2 212-15.