SOLANACE^-NIGHTSHADE FAMILY 



The Nightshade family is, in the main, a family of narcotic- 

 poisonous plants, largely tropical; it has but few genera indigenous 

 to our range; yet it contributes to our cultivation the Potato, 

 Tomato, Egg-plant, Capsicum, and Tobacco, a record of useful- 

 ness excelled only by GraminecB, the Grass Family. 



The plants are herbs with colorless juice and alternate leaves; 

 flowers on the plan of five; five lobes to calyx and corolla; five 

 stamens; ovary two to five-celled and style and stigma one. 



Among ornamental plants are Petunia, Salpiglossis, Nicotiana, 

 Browallia, Datura, and the trailing shrub, Matrimony Vine. 



PETUNIA 



Petunia hjhrida. 



Petunia, from Petun, an aboriginal name of tobacco; given to the 

 genus by Jussieu.. 



A garden race of hybrid annuals, derived principally from two South 

 American species. Petunia nyctaginifldra and Petunia violacecB. Early 

 summer until late autumn. 



Petunia nyctaginiflora was discovered on the banks of the Rio de la 

 Plata in 1823 by Commerson; still found in cultivation. 



Stem. — ^Tall, relatively stout, usually erect, viscid-pubescent. 



Leaves. — Rather thick, oblong-oval, sessile or petioled, clammy with 

 hairs. 



Flowers. — Dull-white, salver-formed, fragrant at evening. 



Calyx. — Viscid-pubescent, five-lobed; lobes acute 



Corolla. — Salver-formed, slightly irregular; border five-lobed; lobes 

 marked with greenish lines running from margin down the tube. 



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