GRADE-11 BOTANY SOLANACEAE

 SOLANACEAE

 

SYSTEMATIC POSITION:

Kingdom-------Plantae              

Division--------Phanerogams

Class-----------Dicotyledonae

Sub-class-----Gamopetalae

Series----------Bicarpellatae

Order-----------Polemoniales

Family----------Solanaceae

Genera: 90 and Species 2200

DISTRUBUTION- tropical and temperate regions

HABITAT- Terrestrial, mostly mesophytes (average condition of water supply); xerophyte (dry place Solanum xanthocarpum )

HABIT- annual herbs (complete lifecycle in a season) or shrubs and rarely trees or climbers (Solanum

jasminoides, Solanum dulcamara)

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERS

ROOT- Tap root (primary root which develops from the elongation of the radicle and bear small radical roots)

STEM- Herbaceous (doesn’t contain wood), aerial (develops above ground), erect (grows vertically upright), cylindrical, branched, solid, glabrous (unhairy) or slightly hairy; modified into tubers (round and fleshy with reserved food materials where several buds develops on the nodes Solanum tuberosum)or may be provided with spines (Solanum xanthocarpum).

LEAF - Cauline (leaf born on main stem) and ramal (leaf arises from branches), alternate (successive leaves occur on opposite sides), often becoming opposite at or near the inflorescence; exstipulate, simple(has single lamina and the incision of margin doenot touch the mid-rib), rarely pinnately compound(mid rib are attached to the mid rib and leaflets are arranged laterally), petiolate(with petiole), ovate(shape of leaf blade is like an egg), margins entire, lobed(margin divided into many lobes) or dentate(margin protects teeth at right angle), apex acute(forms acute angle), surface sub-glabrous (unhairy) to sparsely pubescent(hairy), unicostate(strong mid-rib and lateral veins runs parallel towards apex), reticulate venation.

 

 

FLORAL CHARACTERS

INFLORESCENCE- Cymose(definite inflorescense where growing point of the peduncle is used up in the formation of flower); usually axillary cyme or combination of cymes;sometimes flowers may be solitary (Datura sp.)

FLOWER- Ebracteate (without bract), ebracteolate (without bracteolate), pedicellate (having pedicel), complete (have four whorls). Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical), rarely zygomorphic (laterally symmetrical Schizanthus sp., Brunfelsia Americana) with bilabiate(two lipped flowers) flowers), hermaphrodite(bisexual), pentamerous(the floral parts in multiple of five), hypogynous( flower having superior ovary) and cyclic ( floral parts arranged in whorls)

CALYX - Sepals 5, gamosepalous(sepals are united), five- lobed, Aestivation valvate(margins of adjacent sepals meet at the edge but donot overlap each other), sometimes imbricate(overlapping of sepals is irregular), persistent( sepals persisit till the fruit formation and are present in the mature fruit), often enlarging in fruits.

COROLLA - Petals 5, gamopetalous(petals are united), Aestivation usually imbricate(irregular overlapping of sepals and petals) or twisted( one petal overlaps the next with one margin and it is overlapped by the previous on the other margin), rarely valvate(margins of adjacent petals meet at the edge but do not overlap each other), corolla usually campanulate(shape like bell) or infundibuliform(funnel shaped corolla), sometimes rotate (Solanum sp.) or bilabiate (Brunfelsia sp.)

ANDROECIUM - Stamens 5, polyandrous (stamens are free from each other), epipetalous (stamens fused with petals), alternating with corolla lobes; anther dithecous (anther having two lobes), basifixed (base of anther and top of filament is joined) inserted (stamens remaining inside the corolla petals); introrse(anther facing inward)

GYNOECIUM – Bicarpellary (Carpels-2), syncarpous(carpels are fused laterally to form compound pistil); ovary superior ( gynoecium of hypogynous or perigynous flower) bilocular( two chambers sometimes tetralocular(three chambers) placentation axile (the placentae develop along the central axis in an ovary having two or more locules)

FRUIT - Usually many seeded berry and rarely capsule

SEED - Compressed flat, albuminous; embryo curved with two cotyledons.

DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERISTIC

1. Inflorescence is usually axillary cyme, sometimes extra-axillary cyme.

2. Sepals 5, gamosepalous and persistent, Petals 5, gamopetalous with imbricate or twisted aestivation, Stamens 5, polyandrous and epipetalous.

3. Ovary superior, bilocular, sometimes tetralocular due to formation of false septum.

4. Ovary is obliquely placed with oblique septum.

 

 

ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT PLANTS

Vegetables:

1. Potato- Solanum tuberosum

2. Tomato – Lycopersicum esculentum

3. Brinjal (eggplant) – Solanum melongena

4. Chili – Capsicum annuum

Medicine:

1. Atropa belladonna (Deadly nightshade – Yield atropine & belladonna).

2. Datura stramonium (Datura – yields stramonium).

3. Datura metel (Datura)

4. Withania somnifera (Winter cherry)

5. Solanum xanthocarpum  (Yellow-berried Nightshade)

6. Solanum nigrum (Black nightshade; local name – Kaligeri)

Narcotic:

1. Nicotiana tabacum (Tobacco)

 

Fruit:

 

1. Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry)

Ornamental:

1. Cestrum nocturnum (Night jasmine)

2. Cestrum diurnum (Day jasmine)

3. Brunfelsia americana (Yesterday-today and tomorrow plant/ Lady of the night)