SOLANUM 



NIGHTSHADE OBDEB 



SOLANUM 687 



LXXX. SOLANACE-(E~ Nightshade Order 



An extensive order of herbs, erect or climbing shrubs, or rarely trees, with 

 alternate or nearly opposite, undivided, dissected, or lobed leaves. Mowers 

 hermaphrodite, usually regular. Calyx inferior, gamosepalous, 5- or rarely 

 4- or 6-7-lobed, parted or toothed. Corolla gamopetalous tubular, funnel-, 

 salver-, or bell-shaped, or rotate, usually 5-lobed, often plaited. Stamens equal 

 in number to the corolla lobes and alternate with them, attached to the tube, 

 equal or unequal, or only 4 perfect, 2 long and 2 short, as in Petunia, Schi- 

 zanthtis, Salpiglossis &c. Ovary superior. Fruit usually 2-celled (each cell 

 containing many seeds) capsular or baccate. 



This important order has 66 genera and about 1200 species distributed 

 over the temperate and tropical parts of the globe. To it belong not only 

 plants which yield virulent poisons like the Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Bella- 

 donna) and Henbane {Hyoscyamus niger) but also such useful plants as the 

 Potato, Tomato, and that revenue-swelling article of commerce. Tobacco. 



SOLANUM (Nightshade). — A large 

 genus containing, according to various 

 authors, from 700 to 900 species — naore 

 than half the entire order — of spiny or 

 unarmed herbs, shrubs, or small trees, 

 very variable in habit. Leaves alternate, 

 entire, lobed, or pinnately cut, solitary, or 

 in pairs. Flowers yellow, white, violet, 

 or purpUsh, in forked cymes or rarely one- 

 sided simple racemes. Calyx bell-shaped 

 or spreading, usually 5-10-toothed, lobed, 

 or parted. Corolla rotate or broadly bell- 

 shaped, the limb 5- (rarely 4- or 6-) lobed, 

 plaited in bud. Stamens 5 (rarely 4 or 6) ; 

 anthers united, opening by terminal pores. 

 Ovary 2- (rarely 3-4-) celled. Fruit a 

 many-seeded berry. 



CuUv/re and Propagation, — "With the 

 exception of 8. jasminoides and S. Wend- 

 lamdi — both climbers — all the other spe- 

 cies mentioned below are valuable in the 

 British Islands chiefly on account of their 

 bold and handsome appearance for sub- 

 tropical gardening during the summer and 

 autumn months. Of late years they have 

 become more fashionable for this particu- 

 lar purpose, and many more species are 

 grown in this way than formerly. They 

 are treated as tender annuals and are 

 easily raised from seeds sown about 

 February or March in heat, the seedlings 

 being potted on and hardened off in cooler 

 and more airy quarters so as to be in a 

 fit condition for planting out at the end of 

 May. Grown in groups or masses they 

 are very effective and should always have 

 a sunny sheltered position and a deep 



rich loamy soil with plenty of moisture, 

 otherwise they are not likely to attain 

 luxuriant proportions. 



Where convenience for wintering the 

 plants is at hand, cuttings may be taken 

 of the side shoots or tops during the 

 summer months and rooted in a hotbed 

 or under handhghts. The rooted plants 

 must be kept fairly warm during the 

 winter, and by June or the end of May 

 they will be' fine, sturdy specimens for 

 planting out. Bilt plants raised from 

 seeds are usually more symmetrical in 

 outline, and if grown on quickly in genial 

 heat and moisture in the earlier stages of 

 their existence they will become quite 

 large enough for planting out, when they 

 have been hardened off in rather cooler 

 and more airy quarters. 



S. aculeatissiraum. — A beautiful free- 

 growing species about 2 ft. high, and of 

 obscure origin. The spreading branches 

 are thickly covered with spines, and 

 violet coloured on the sunny side, bearing 

 broadly ovate leaves, prettily waved and 

 cut into short segments. The young 

 leaves are tinged with violet and afford 

 a pleasing contrast to the pure cold 

 green of the older leaves. Flowers 

 white, numerous, small and pretty, 

 succeeded by attractive berries mottled 

 with pale and dark green. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. atropurpureura (S. sangmneum). — A 

 fine Brazilian species with erect branching 

 blood-red or ptu-ple stems 3-6 ft. high, 



