Solanaceae: Characters, Economic Importance, Distribution and Types

Diagnostic characters of Solanaceae:

1. Habit: Annual (they have just a single growing session throughout their life cycle), biennial or perennial (these plants germinate, grow, bear fruits and flowers, die in the year herbs and again grow in the next year of its growing session) or small tree. 

2. Roots: Fibrous (its a kind of root system that's closer to the surface of soil and it forms a dense network of roots structure) or tuberous tap root. 

3. Stem: Herbaceous (green, less or more flexible, soft. It's generally composed up of vascular bundles i.e. Xylem and phloem, a cortex, a pith and an epidermis) or woody: erect: sometimes underground stem (tuber).

4. Leaves: Petiolate (leaves that have petiole / stalk that helps in the attachment of leaf to the stem of plant); alternate or opposite: simple: exstipulate; soft in touch; unicostate recticulate venation.

5. Inflorescence: Terminal (its a flower arrangement that emerges from the top of the leaves of plants) or lateral cyme or solitary.

6. Flower: Pedicillate (its a flower that bears a pedicel its resembles like stem and it performs a role in the attachment of flower to the inflorescence): ebracteate (kind of flower that don't have bract at the base of its stalk or pedicel): actinomorphic (type of flower that can be divided into two or more than more identical parts by passing a line through center of it) or zygomorphic: Regular, complete: hermaphrodite (its a kind of flower that have both male and female reproductive organs on the same flower and can produce both male and female gametes to proceed further reproduction); hypogynous; pentamerous.

7. Calyx: 5 sepals; fused (gamosepalous: condition of flower that have fused or attaches sepals); green; often more enlarged in the fruit.

8. Corolla: 5 petals: gamopetalous (a type of flower in which sepals are fused in such a way that they form a funnel shape/tube like str.): bell shaped or funnel shaped. 

9. Stamens: 5 stamens: epipetalous (its a condition of flower in which stamen is attached to the petals of flower); anther free or united: basifixed.

10. Carpel: Bicarpellary (dual carpels or pistils state of flower): syncarpous; ovary superior; obliquely placed: bilocular, sometimes, become multilocular by the formation of false septum. Placentation axile.

11. Fruits: Capsule or berry 

12. Seed: Endospermic seed; Albuminous seed.

Floral formula of Solanaceae:

Floral diagram of Solanaceae:

Economic Importance of Solanaceae:

1. Food: Many plants of Solanaceae family are used as a source of food for living organism. Some general members are :

(a) Solanum tubersum (potato-white or Irish potato): It is an important member in Solanaceae family. It is used as source of food of human being globally. The people of Ireland completely depend on potato for food, So it has great importance for them. 

(b) Lysopersicum esculentum (tomato): Once it was believed to be a poisonous plant in ancient era or in pre-researches. Now it is used as a vegetable globally. 

(c) Solanum melangena (egg plant or brinjal): It is also used as a source food and vegetable. 

(d) Capsicum annum and Capsicum frutenscens are best source of vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are used as condiments (spices). 

(e) Physalis (Ground-Cherry): It produces an edible fruit. This fruit is enclosed in a bladder like calyx called husk. So it is called husk tomato.

2. Tobacco: Nicotiana tobacum (tobacco) has great commercial value. It leaves are dried and made into tobacco. This tobacco is used for making cigarettes. 

3. Medicinal plants: Many members of Solanaceae family produce powerful alkaloids (poisonous chemicals). e.g. i- Atropa belladonna, ii- Datura are rich in atropine and daturines. These are used in many medicines. 

4. Ornamental Plants: Many plants are cultivated in the gardens, houses and parks for their beautiful flower and appearances. Some of these are:

i- Petunia ii- Nicotiana iii- Cestrum iv- Solanum.

Distribution pattern of Solanaceae:

Solanaceae family has about 90 genera and 2000 species are discovered till now, These plants are distributed in in temperate and tropical areas of the globe, 14 genera and 52 species of this family are present Asia. Solanaceae family has biggest garden in the world and that's known as Dubai Miracle Garden.

Common species of Solanaceae:

(1). Nocotiana tobacum: Tobacco.

(2). Solanum tubersum: Potato.

(3). Lycopersicum esculentum: Tomato.

(4). Capsicum frutescens: Red pepper.

(5). Solanum melangena: egg plant or brinjal.

(6). Solanun negrum.