SOLANACE.?;. 297 



ORDER CI. SOLANACE^. The Potato Tribe, 



Cal. — Sepals 4 — 5, more or less united, mostly persistent. 



Cor. — Regular, limb 4 — 5-cleft, plaited in festivation, deciduous. 



Sta. — 4 — 5 (sometimes 1 abortive), inserted on the corolla alternate with its segments. 



An!/i. — Bursting longitudinally, rarely by terminal pores. 



Oua.— Free (superior), 2-celled, (4-celled in Datura) witli tlie placenta in the axis. 



Styles and stigmas united into 1. 



fV. — A capsule or berry. Seeds numerous. Embryo curved, lying in fleshy albumen. 



Herbaceous or shrubby plants, with a colorless juice. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence 

 often supra-axillary. Pedicels without bracts. They are diffused throughout the world, 

 except the frigid zones, but are most abundant in the torrid. 



Pioperties. These are hijrhly important. A large portion of the genera are pervaded by 

 a narcotic principle, rendering the herbage and fruit dangerously poisonous, yet furnishing 

 some of the most active medicines; as the henbane (Hyosciamus), belladonna (Atropa), 

 stramonium (Datura), ioinrro (Nicotiana), &c. At the same time several species of solanum 

 afford wholesome and nutritious food, not because they are free from the narcotic principle, 

 but because it is expelled in the process of cooking or ripening in the sun. Such are the 

 tubers of the invaluable potato, the fruit of the tomato and egi^plant. The genus Capsicum 

 is entirely free from narcotine, and produces the well-known stimulant fruit, Cayemit 

 pepper. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



f Fruit ( sitting on the calyx. 

 ■ rotate with a < baccate, ) enclosed in the calyx 

 very short tube. ( Fruit capsular, dry. 



( Sepals lanceolate. 

 campanulate. . . ( Sepals leafy, sagittate. . 



i Capsule spinose. 

 ( Herbs. . | Capsule smooth. 

 ( regular, . [ funnel-form. . . . | Trailing shrubs. . 

 \ J salver-form, lower segments larger. 



Corolla ( irregular, | funnel-form, upper segments larger. 



1. SOL A' NUM. 

 Calyx of 5 (rarely more) sepals, slightly united at base, 

 persistent; corolla rotate, or campanulate; anthers slightly- 

 cohering, opening by 2 pores at the top ; berry 2-cellecl, 

 many-seeded. 



Etymology uncertain. Herbs, sometimes shrubby and climbino-. Lvs,. 

 simple or pinnate. Peduncles 1 — many-flowered, supra-nxillary or terminal. 

 Cor. of a very short tube and a 5-lobed, plaited limb. Beny roundish with 

 a terminal scar, 2 — 6-celled. ' 



1. S. Dulcama'ra. 



Stem shrubby, flexuous, thornless; ?e«»cs ovate-cordate, upper ones hastate ; 

 clnsters cymose. A well-known, shrubby climber, with blue flowers and red 

 berries. Stem branching, several feet in lensth, climbing about hedges and 

 thickets in low grounds. Lower leaves between heart and egg-shaped, 

 entire; the upper ones becoming auriculate or hastate. Floweis'drooping, 

 on blanching peduncles from the side of the stem. Corolla of 5 reflexed 

 segments, purple, with 2 green spots at the base of each segment. Berries 

 bright red, The root being chewed gives at first, a sensation of bitterness, 

 then of sweetness. The berries are poisonous. The leaves and twitrs have 

 been used medicinally with good effect. Jl. Bittersweet. Woody JYigFushade. 



2. S. NIGRUM. 



S/em herbaceous, thornless; leaves ovate, toothed and waved; vinhels 

 lateral, drooping. A weed-like plant, without beauty and of suspicious aspect, 

 about rubbish, in old fields, &c. Stem erect, branching, angular, a foot high. 

 Leaves almost always with the lamina perforated and the margin erose as if 



