S OLANACEAE It is a large family, commonly called as the ‘potato family’. It is widely distributed in tropics, subtropics and even temperate zones (Figure . ). Vegetative Characters Plants mostly herbs, shrubs and rarely small trees Stem: herbaceous rarely woody, aerial; erect, cylindrical, branched, solid or hollow, hairy or glabrous, underground stem in potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) Leaves: alternate, simple, rarely pinnately compound, exstipulate; venation reticulate (d) (e) (f) Figure .
Solanum nigrum (makoi) plant : (a) Flowering twig (b) Flower (c) L.S. of flower (d) Stamens (e) Carpel (f) Floral diagram Floral Characters Inflorescence : Solitary, axillary or cymose as in Solanum Flower : bisexual, actinomorphic Calyx: sepals five, united, persistent, valvate aestivation Corolla: petals five, united; valvate aestivation Androecium: stamens five, epipetalous Gynoecium: bicarpellary obligately placed, syncarpous; ovary superior, bilocular, placenta swollen with many ovules, axile Fruits: berry or capsule Seeds: many, endospermous Floral Formula: ⊕ Economic Importance Many plants belonging to this family are source of food (tomato, brinjal, potato), spice (chilli); medicine (belladonna, ashwagandha ); fumigatory (tobacco); ornamentals (petunia).