Vegetables belonging to the nightshade family. Solanaceae

The Latin name is solanaceae.
Class dicotyledonous.

Description. The nightshade family is a collection of more than 2,300 plant species, the fruits of which every person eats almost daily. This is called second bread, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Despite the high alkali content, these products are considered the best option for balancing a person’s meat and dairy diet. In addition to the representatives found in every garden, the family includes perennial, rarely annual herbs, shrubs with erect or climbing stems, vines and even small trees.

All of them are united by common characteristics of nightshades:

the presence of a fusion-petal corolla, formed by the fusion of flower petals;
the presence of the toxic substance solanine in vegetative organs;
identical structure of flowers;
fruit - berry (tomato, black nightshade) or capsule (tobacco, petunia).

Among the plants whose fruits are considered common foods, there are a large number of poisonous species. This seemingly contradictory fact is explained by the fact that toxic substances are concentrated mainly in the tops, and the fruits or roots are completely harmless. In tomatoes, for example, only ripe fruits are edible; in potatoes, only the tubers are edible.

Poisonous wild representatives are already considered dangerous for both animals and humans. Accidentally ingested berries of bittersweet or black nightshade can cause severe poisoning, sometimes fatal. Black henbane is also a dangerous plant, but the poison contained in its leaves is used in medicine to produce ointments. Datura leaves, which cause severe skin burns, also serve as a valuable raw material for the preparation of a number of medications - alkaloids.

nightshade flower, as a rule, bisexual, regular, five-membered, with a double fused perianth. Its calyx consists of 5 fused sepals. The perianth consists of 5 petals, which, when fused, form a tubular or wheel-shaped corolla, to the tube of which short stamen filaments are attached. The ovary of a single pistil is usually bilocular with many ovules.

The anthers are large, sometimes close to the center of the flower, and open with apical pores or longitudinally. The nectar disc is quite well developed. Flower formula: H (5) L (5) T 5 P 1.

Nightshade plants are decorated with one or more flowers, collected in small inflorescences without bracts. After flowering is completed, the plants begin to bear fruits in the form of a berry (potato, pepper, eggplant) or a capsule (henbane, datura), which contains small seeds with endosperm.

Plants of the nightshade family have simple, stipule-less leaves with alternate arrangements. In the flowering part of the stem they are located in pairs (a pair usually consists of 1 large leaf and 1 small one), and in the vegetative part - alternately. The shape of the leaves is whole, serrated, lobed or pinnate, incised or dissected. Plants are often covered with glandular hairs, from which a specific odor is released. Spreading.

Almost all nightshade crops are native to South and Central America. Therefore, in the temperate, tropical and subtropical zones of this part of the world, the largest number of their species, including trees and lianas, are found. In the CIS countries, the family is represented only by herbaceous plants, uniting almost 45 species. Some of them are important in human life.

These are valuable food plants (potatoes, eggplant, tomato, pepper), medicinal plants (belladonna, henbane), industrial plants (tobacco), etc. Of the wild nightshade plants in our latitudes, the most poisonous species are found: black nightshade and bittersweet nightshade. All plants of the Solanaceae family reproduce by seeds, using stem cuttings, and also grow together well when grafted. Seeds are sown in spring and germinated at room temperature under glass. The first shoots appear after 2 weeks. After two pickings, the plants are ready for planting. In spring and summer it is convenient to propagate by cuttings, some of which are rooted in soil or sand.

The growth rate of different representatives of the nightshade family varies greatly. Thus, the giant dope grows very quickly, and brunfelsia is considered a slow-growing capricious plant. Most species of the family are pollinated by insects, but there are also self-pollinating species, such as potatoes.

General information about nightshades

Solanaceae (lat. Solanaceae) are a family of sphenolate plants of the dicotyledonous class. Herbs, less often shrubs, vines and small trees. Over 2,500 species (about 90 genera), in temperate, tropical and subtropical zones (mostly in South and Central America). The most important genera: nightshade, tobacco, mandrake. Many are valuable food (potatoes, tomatoes), medicinal (belladonna, henbane, scopolia, etc.), cultivated (tobacco), ornamental (petunia) plants, although there are also poisonous representatives, for example, dope.
Nightshade (Solanum), a genus of herbs, shrubs and subshrubs (rarely trees) of the Solanaceae family. About 1,700 species, widely distributed, most in South America. Potatoes and eggplants belong to the nightshade genus. Some nightshades are poisonous. There are medicinal ones - bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara).
Mandragora, a genus (5-6 species) of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Most of them are large perennial herbs, usually always stemless with large leaves collected in a rosette - up to 1-2 meters in diameter, common in the Mediterranean, Western and Central Asia, and the Himalayas. However, some species of mandrake - Stem Mandragora (Mandragora caulescens) has a developed stem, and Tibetan Mandragora (Mandragora tibetica) - unlike other species - is a small, inconspicuous plant.

Scopolia is a genus of perennial herbs in the nightshade family. 4-6 species, in the temperate zone of Eurasia. In Russia, in the North Caucasus, there is 1 species - Scopolia carniolian, a medicinal plant (contains the alkaloids scopolamine, atropine, etc.) and an ornamental plant.
Belladonna is a perennial herbaceous plant of the belladonna genus of the nightshade family. Height 0.6-2 m. Grows in Central and Southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Crimea and the Carpathians; in culture as a medicinal. Used as an analgesic and antispasmodic. Poisonous. Belladonna contains atropine, which dilates the pupils, which is why women in Ancient Rome used it as a “beauty remedy.” Hence the name belladonna (Italian: belladonna - beautiful lady).
Henbane, a genus of annual and biennial herbs in the nightshade family. About 20 species, in Eurasia, Africa and the Canary Islands. Black henbane is poisonous; weed. Extract from the leaves is used in medicine (antispasmodic, analgesic).
Pepper (Capsicum), a genus of shrubs, subshrubs or perennial herbs of the nightshade family. About 20 species, mainly in Central and South America. Many species of this genus are grown, but the most common in the countries of the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones is vegetable pepper, or paprika (Capsicum annuum), an annual self-pollinating plant. The stem is up to 1 m high, woody at the base, the leaves are oval-lanceolate. The flowers are yellowish or purple, bisexual. The fruit is a pod. Weight from 0.5 to 200 g, length from 1 to 20 cm. Ripe fruits are red, orange-red or yellow. Shape – from elongated to spherical. The homeland of vegetable pepper is Central and South America (southern Mexico, Guatemala), where it was introduced into culture long before Christ. e. It was brought to Europe by Columbus in 1493. From Spain and Portugal it quickly spread throughout Europe, and from the Balkan Peninsula to Africa and Asian countries. Both sweet varieties and varieties are cultivated, as well as bitter (spicy) ones, which are used as a spice. In Russia, pepper, imported from Persia and Turkey, has been cultivated since the 17th century. In the south it is grown in open ground, in the central and northwestern regions - in protected ground.
Datura, a genus of herbs, less commonly shrubs or trees of the nightshade family. Over 10 species, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Datura common, common in the temperate and warm zones of Eurasia, is a poisonous, medicinal plant (the leaves are part of anti-asthma drugs, atropine is obtained from the seeds); cultivated in a number of countries.
Petunia is a genus of annual and perennial herbs of the nightshade family. About 15 species in America. Numerous varieties of hybrid petunia are cultivated as ornamental plants. Physalis, a genus of annual and perennial herbs of the nightshade family. Over 100 species. Peruvian physalis, pubescent physalis, glutenous physalis and others are vegetable crops (sweet fruits with a strawberry aroma), in Asia, North and South America, Africa, Europe. Physalis, vegetable and ornamental plant. The peculiarity of physalis is the presence of a swollen calyx-lantern that closes the fruit-berry. It grows wild in Mexico and Guatemala, where it was introduced into culture long before our era.

Botanical description. Herbs, erect or creeping shrubs, and occasionally small trees (Solanum, Dunalia and Acnistus spp.); Solanaceae leaves are whole, serrated, lobed or incised; in the vegetative part of the stem they are located alternately, and in the flowering part - in pairs (usually 1 large leaf and 1 small one); paired leaf arrangement is determined by sympodial branching and joint displacement of parts; as a result, in some nightshades (Datura, Physalis, Solanum), the stems appear dichotomously or trichotomously branched, the branches do not emerge from the axils, and the flowers or inflorescences are sessile in the fork of the branches. The flowers are collected in inflorescences-curls, without bracts. The flowers are bisexual, rarely completely regular. The fruit is a berry or capsule that opens through the valves or lid. The seeds are more or less kidney-shaped, containing fleshy protein, mostly a curved embryo.
The most interesting genera of the nightshade family:
Henbane (Hyoscyamus)
Brugmansia
Dereza (Lycium)
Datura (Datura)
Calibrachoa
Belladonna (Atropa)
Mandragora
Nicandra
Nightshade (Solanum)
Pepper (Capsicum)
Petunia
Scopolia
Solandra
Tobacco (Nicotiana)
Tomato (Lycopersicon)
Physalis

Healing properties and use in folk medicine. Mandragora officinalis is the most famous plant of this genus. Distributed in the Mediterranean region. Large, starch-rich roots sometimes resemble the shape of a human figure, and therefore in ancient times they were attributed magical properties - healing from ailments, facilitating conception and the ability to bring happiness in lawsuits. In the old days, the so-called Adam's head was cut out of the mandrake root, which was worn as an amulet that brought happiness and warded off illness. Various legends about treasures, fortune telling, etc. were associated with it, as well as with the plant itself. In ancient times, mandrake root was used before difficult operations. The plant is poisonous, its extract even in the smallest doses causes drowsiness in animals and people, and in large doses it has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. The leaves are used as a painkiller - they are applied to wounds, and some people smoke them as tobacco. The fruits of the mandrake were used by the Arabs as a sleeping pill; they were also credited with the ability to stimulate sexual activity and love drinks were prepared from them. The species that grows on the territory of Turkmenistan is the Turkmen Mandragora (Mandragora turkomanica), an endemic species that is endangered. Listed in the Red Book. This is a large stemless plant with broadly oval or ovate leaves collected in a rosette up to 160 cm in diameter. The roots penetrate to a depth of 2 m. The flowers are pollinated by various insects. The fruits are large, 5-6 cm in diameter, orange, aromatic, edible. Mandrake root contains a number of substances - hyoscine, hyoscyamine, atropine, myristic acid, phytosterol. Pepper . The juicy, fleshy fruits of sweet peppers have high taste, contain a large amount of vitamin C - up to 300 mg per 100 g of fresh weight of the fruit (more than any other vegetables), vitamins P, group B, carotene (especially high in red fruits), salts of potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, essential oil, which gives pepper a specific smell. The heat of hot pepper pods is due to the content of the alkaloid capsaicin, which accumulates in the fruits as they ripen. The content of capsaicin is especially high in the so-called caben pepper, classified as a bush pepper (C. frutescens) or isolated as an independent species. Sweet peppers are consumed fresh and after cooking, canned (while retaining up to 70% of vitamin C), and frozen. Hot pepper is a hot seasoning (liquid or powder), an important component of sauces such as “adjika”, “chili”, etc. ; tincture of hot pepper is used for radiculitis, vodka pepper tincture is an anti-cold remedy and also has a disinfectant effect against intestinal infections. Hot peppers are used to make pepper plaster.

Representatives of the nightshade family, cultivated and wild, can be found throughout the world. These are herbaceous and woody plants, vines, annual and perennial. Pollinated by insects. In tropical zones, birds and animals can participate in pollination. The bulk of species richness is concentrated in Central and South America.

The numerous nightshade family, numbering more than 2,600 species, plays a large role in human life. Plants have food, medicinal, and technical significance.

Vegetable nightshade crops

Vegetables from the nightshade family came to Europe in the mid-16th century. Modern varieties of vegetable crops are the result of centuries of work by a large army of farmers and breeders.

These plants are poisonous, so they are used with great caution and in very small doses. They are used in both folk and official medicine. When eating fruits, berries or seeds of these plants, poisoning may occur.

Ornamental plants of the nightshade family

Ornamental nightshade plants are valued by gardeners. Lianas and climbing bushes delight with bright flowers and fruits of various colors.

The nightshade family is numerous and diverse. Without everyone’s favorite vegetables - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes, it is impossible to organize proper nutrition. Medicinal plants serve as raw materials for the preparation of medicines. Decorative representatives of the family delight the eye with their rich flowering.

21st century - the further a person is from nature, the greater the desire to eat natural products. More and more attention is being paid to the quality of food; we want to know what and how appears on our table. It’s impossible to imagine our menu without potatoes, peppers, eggplants and many other vegetables. They all belong to the same family – nightshade.

general information

The Solanaceae family, from the Dicotyledonous class, Flowering division, from the Plant kingdom, has at least 100 genera and more than 2,500 species.

The family consists of small trees, creeping shrubs and herbs

The leaves have a variety of shapes- can be:

whole;
serrated;
incised;
lobed

They are located in pairs - large and small. They often have a specific smell.

The flower is bisexual, regular, with a calyx of 5 leaves, shaped like teeth or lobes. The inflorescences-whorls have no bracts; they have a double-leaved perianth. Five filaments of stamens are attached to the corolla tube. The ovary of the pistil is two-locular with a large number of ovules. The anthers are large and located closer to the center of the flower. Ch(5)L(5)T(5)P(1) - the formula of which can describe the nightshade flower. The plant has several flowers collected in small inflorescences. The fruit contains a large number of seeds.

In Russia, the family is represented only by herbs, about 45 species. The main representatives come from North and South America. The most famous - potatoes and tomatoes, appeared in Europe only in the middle of the 16th century and were initially considered only as ornamental plants. In Russia, this culture became known two centuries later.

Today, these nightshades are already of irreplaceable importance as a food product.

What beneficial qualities does nightshade have?

Vegetables

The nightshade family includes such popular cultivated vegetables as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

Potatoes - every person knows this plant well. It's hard to imagine a table without it. In the diet of most of us occurs almost daily. Contrary to popular belief, this crop contains useful minerals and is rich in vitamins, especially provitamin A. It is difficult to list all the dishes where potatoes are found.

The diversity is simply amazing; the plant is represented by a mass of varieties of different taste, shape, size, color, chemical composition and quality. There are varieties that are not afraid of frost, and even light frosts; the Colorado potato beetle does not take them. In the general ranking of agricultural crops, this plant is second only to wheat, rice and corn.

An equally popular nightshade is the tomato. Europeans learned about it at the same time as potatoes, but the Aztecs and Incas cultivated this plant already in the 8th century. Today, more than 10,000 varieties of tomato are known. There was a long debate about whether this plant should be classified as a berry or a vegetable. In 2001, the European Union determined that it is a representative fruit. The tomato fruit does not contain cholesterol and has large amounts of vitamins A and C, there is sirotin or the “happiness hormone”. Due to its lycopene content, it is a good anticancer agent and is used to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Heat treatment does not impair its beneficial qualities.

Eggplants and a wide variety of peppers are also part of the nightshade family.

Berries

More rare representatives are physalis, melon pear, okra. The okra fruit has only recently appeared in our diet. But in Asia, this nightshade product has been grown for more than 2 thousand years. years. When used correctly, it is an excellent addition to the diet. Known for many wonderful qualities - lowers cholesterol, normalizes blood pressure, heart function, vision, and digestion. Reduces fatigue, improves immunity and much more.

The nightshade species is known for many popular berries.

Everyone knows about gooseberries, another name is bersen. The plant is distributed throughout Russia and the CIS. Since XI it has been grown in monastery gardens. We love modern summer residents. At least 1,500 varieties are known, the crop is valued as a honey plant, rich in sugar, acids, many vitamins, contains pectin substances, and is used in medicine.

The nightshade family contains another interesting plant - the goji berry, or Chinese berry, whose composition is indispensable for humans - iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, phosphorus and many other trace elements. It contains unique polysaccharides and 18 different amino acids, vitamins B, E, C. A good preventative, useful for high sugar, cholesterol, improves vision, nourishes the brain, improves digestion, a good antioxidant, has anti-cancer properties.

The family is simply obliged to have such a berry as black nightshade. The berry is used as a filling for pies, jam is made from it, and jelly is boiled. Let's consider what type of fruit the nightshade has - black, less often white or greenish, round in shape with a diameter of up to 1 cm, juicy. It must be remembered that unripe fruit cannot be consumed, it is poisonous.

Flowers

The nightshade flower is very popular among gardeners. The most common type of petunia is a bright, large, beautiful flower. About 15 species and many hybrids. There is no gardener who could do without petunias. Nightshade rightfully takes its place in flower beds - datura, cestrum, brufelsia. Almost any plant of this species can be grown as an ornamental. Besides the flowers, the fruit looks very beautiful.

Family known many medicinal plants:

Most often in medicine, a nightshade species such as belladonna is used; the leaves are used to make tablets, tinctures, etc.; prescribed to reduce the tone of the intestines, bronchi, uterus, improve heart function, increase eye pressure, as an antioxidant;
Henbane is well known for its analgesic properties; raw materials are collected until the flower has fully blossomed;
For many centuries, mandrake has been used for medicinal purposes - as a painkiller, healing wounds, and for skin pathologies; it is difficult to overestimate this plant;
The black nightshade flower is used for medicinal purposes as an expectorant and diuretic.

However, not everything is so simple; we should not forget the harmfulness of some representatives of this family. Wikipedia gives a fairly complete overview of such plants with pictures; examples of them are widespread in many countries.

What danger does the nightshade species contain?

Any plant from this family contains alkaloids, which makes them poisonous. The most famous alkaloid is nicotine. Tobacco is also a nightshade plant. So much has been written about the dangers of tobacco that it seems there is nothing left to add. Almost all countries of the world declared real war on him.

Quite often, belladonna berries cause poisoning, although this plant is almost harmless to animals. But almost all cultivated nightshades often cause poisoning in horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs. Even regular potatoes can be poisonous. Many cases of mass poisoning by black nightshade have been recorded. To avoid problems, it should be destroyed near pastures.

Among the nightshades there is such a terrible plant as nightshade. A nasty quarantine weed. If you miss the moment, it will quickly clog your garden or vegetable garden. Crop losses reach 100%. The leaves are poisonous to animals; the plant is a breeding ground for the Colorado potato beetle, potato moth, and pathogens of viral diseases.

Tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato - these plants have long been known for their economic importance. All of them belong to the Solanaceae family. The formula of a flower, the type of fruit, the life form are signs by which the presented plants can be combined. Our article is devoted to the characteristics and diversity of representatives of this systematic unit.

Signs of the Solanaceae family

All representatives of this group, growing in a temperate climate zone, are exclusively herbaceous plants. But in Central and South America there are vines, shrubs, and trees. Characteristics of the Solanaceae family also include simple leaves with a blade shape, they can be whole, incised, or jagged.

Parts of some plants are covered with glandular cells. Their secretions have a specific smell. Datura and henbane accumulate toxic substances called alkaloids in their tissues.

Solanaceae family: flower formula

Did you know that biology also has formulas? For example, Ch(5) L(5) T5 P1. And it is also a systematic feature of the Solanaceae family. The flower formula is very easy to decipher.

The first two letters and numbers characterize the structure of the perianth. H(5) is the number of sepals, and L(5) is the number of petals. The latter grow together, so they visually resemble a tube. T5 - number of stamens. In members of the family, they all grow together with the corolla. And, it’s easy to guess, P1 is the only pestle.

Such flowers can be single or collected in inflorescences, like those of potatoes. Most often they are pollinated by insects. Their attention is attracted by the aroma and bright aureole. In the tropics, birds and mammals also take part in the pollination process.

Solanaceae produce two types of fruit: berry and capsule. The first has a dense protective skin, fleshy middle and inner layers, and contains many seeds. Berries are formed in the process of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplants. A capsule is a dry multi-seeded fruit. It can open up in different ways. For example, Datura has numerous longitudinal slits, and henbane has a lid.

Diversity

In addition to well-known vegetable crops such as peppers and potatoes, the Solanaceae family also includes ornamental species. These are physalis, petunia, fragrant tobacco. They are valued for their brightly colored corollas and pleasant aroma.

Medicinal plants include black nightshade, bittersweet, and pepper. They are used in the treatment of rheumatism, lichen, psoriasis, and as an expectorant. Belladonna is also famous for its healing properties. The leaves of this plant have long been used to make drugs that reduce muscle tone.

Henbane, which is considered a poisonous plant, is widely used in medicine as an analgesic and expectorant. The herb also has a relaxing effect on the nervous system.

The mandrake also has a typical structure of the Solanaceae family. During the Middle Ages, it was credited with witchcraft properties, which is why it was called a witch’s or witch’s flower. The root of this plant visually resembles a human figure. The shoot has no stem. It consists of leaves and large single flowers with a bright corolla.

This unusual structure determined the use of mandrake for magical purposes as a love spell, getting rid of infertility and many ailments. It is known that in Ancient Greece the flowers of this plant were worn around the neck as a decoration and an amulet of love.

In fact, mandrake is very poisonous. It can both excite and inhibit the activity of the nervous system, cause insomnia and even hallucinations.

Economic importance of plants

But the most important thing is still the vegetable Solanaceae. Can you imagine your diet without potatoes? Surely not. But for a long time this plant was considered poisonous. And all because people used its fruits, which are truly inedible, for food. Only potato inflorescences were used to decorate clothes, hats and hairstyles. Today, people eat underground modifications of the shoot - tubers.

So, in our article we looked at the following features of the Solanaceae family: