NIGHTSHADE FAMILY 



491 



very rapidly. The Dodders are parasitic plants and do much 



damage in Clover, Alfalfa, and Flax fields, where they twine 



about the plants and grow their roots into their stems and 



rob them of their food. 



Nightshade Family (Solonaceae) . ~ This family is the one to 



which the Irish Potato, Tomato, and Tobacco belong. Some 



authors give the number of species as about 1700. Both the 



five sepals and five petals 



are more or less joined 



(Fig. 440). The stamens 



are five and usually inserted 



on the corolla. The Irish 



Potato {Solarium tuberosum) 



is probably the most im- 

 portant plant of this group 



and Tobacco (Nicotiana 



Tabacum) next. Some years 



the potato crop in the 



United States is more than 



300,000,000 bushels. New 



York is the chief potato 



growing state, although 



many potatoes are grown in 



Michigan, Wisconsin, and 



Pennsylvania. 



The Tomato (Lycopersi- 

 cum esculentum), when first 

 introduced from tropical 



A-merica as an ornamental 

 plant, was considered poison- 

 ous, but now its fruits are 

 important vegetables. 



In some of the Southern states, as Kentucky, North Caro- 

 lina, and Virginia, Tobacco is one of the leading agricultural 

 products, while in many other states it is grown in considerable 

 quantities. Some other cultivated plants of this family are the 

 Egg Plant, Cayenne Pepper, Petunia, and Belladonna. 



To this family belong a number of weeds, some of which are 

 quite troublesome. The Black Nightshade {Solarium nigrum) 

 and Jimson Weed {Datura Stramonium) {Fig. 441) are common 



Fig. 442. — A portion of the Ho^se 

 Nettle, showing flowers and fruits and 

 the spiny character of the plant (xj). 

 After Dewey. 



