343 



ORDER CXVII. SOLANACEiE. 



Calyx 5-parted, seldom 4-parted, persistent, inferior : corolla 

 monopetalous, hypogynous, deciduous, limb 5-cleft, seldom 4- 

 cleft, regular or rarely somewhat unequal, the aestivation plaited 

 or imbricate or even valvate : stamens inserted on the corolla, 

 as many as the segments of the limb, with which they are alter- 

 nate : anthers bursting longitudinally, rarely by pores at the 

 apex, ovary 2-celled, composed of a pair of carpels right and 

 left of the axis, rarely 4-5, or many-celled, with polyspermous 

 placentae : style continuous : stigma simple : ovules numerous, 

 amphitropal : pericarp with 2, or 4, or many cells, either a 

 capsule with double dissepiment parallel with valves, or a berry 

 "with the placentae adhering to the dissepiment : seeds numer- 

 ous : embryo straight or curved, often out of the centre, lying 

 in fleshy albumen : radicle near the hilum. — Herbaceous plants 

 and shrubs : leaves alternate, undivided or lobed, sometimes 

 collateral, the floral ones sometimes double, and placed near 

 each other : inflorescence variable, often out of the axil : the 

 pedicels without bracts. 



GENUS I. SOLANUM. 

 Pentandria Moiiogynia. Sex .- Syst .- 



Deriv. A name used by Pliny, but the derivation is unbertaiil. 



Gen. Chae. Calyx 5, [rarely 4-6-10] -parted, cleft, tootlied or 

 crenated, even entire, regular or rarely somewhat irregular : co- 

 rolla rotate, cup-shaped or pan-shaped, tube short, limb folded,, 

 5, [rarely 4 or 6]-cleffc, parted or angular : stamens five, rarely 

 4 or 6, adnate to the throat of the corolla, usually exserted .- fila- 

 ments very short, equal or rarely unequal : anthers free, dehis- 

 cent by twin pores at the apex, connivent, very rarely connate, 

 equal or sometimes unequal, cells lateral, adnate to an incon- 

 spicuous connectivum : ovary 2, [rarely 3-4].celled, cells many- 

 ovuled : style simple : stigma obtuse : berry 2, [rarely 3-^]- 

 celled : seeds many, subreniform, compressed : embryo spiral : 

 albumen fleshy. — ^Annual or perennial herbs, undershrubs, shruba 

 or trees, unarmed or prickly, or rarely thorny, glabrous or hairy; 



