SOL 



feeds ; foinetimes capfular, of two valves, with a partition 

 parallel thereto, as in the Scrophulariit ; or more frequently 

 pulpy, with central receptacles for the feeds attached to the 

 middle of the partition, at each fide, and ufually prominent, 

 fo as to feparate each principal cell of the berry internally 

 into two parts, or, by a ftill further imperfeft fubdivifion, 

 into more. Corculum of the feed curved, lodged in a fari- 

 naceous albumen. Stem herbaceous or fhrubby. Leaves al- 

 ternate ; in fome inftances there are two floral ones from the 

 fame point. Flowers varioufly difpofed, often extra-axil- 

 lary, that is, placed near the fide of the infertion of the 

 leaves, not fpringing from their bofoms. 



The firft feftion, with a capfular or dry fruit, confilts of 

 Celfia, Verbafcum, Hyafeyamus, Nicotlana, and Datura. 



The fecond, with a berry, of Trlguera of Cavanilles, 

 which we have recently difcovered to be the very identical 

 Verbafcum OJbeckit of Linnxus, a plant that no fubfequent 

 botanifl could ever make out ; (fee Verbascum and Tri- 

 GUERA ;) Jaborofa of Juflieu ; Mandragora of Tournefort ; 

 Atropa ; Nicaiulra of Adanfon, which is Atropa phyfalcides 

 of Linnscus ; Phyfalls ; Witheringia of I'Heritier ; Aquartia ; 

 Solarium ; Capjicum ; Lyc'ium ; and Ceflrum. 



Settion third contains three genera, reckoned akin to the 

 former ; thefe are Bont'ia, Brunfeljia, and Crcfcentia. With 

 thefe laft the true Solandra is, as JufTieu fufpefted, to be 

 aflociated. See Solandka. 



SOLANILLOS, in Geography, a town of Spain, in 

 New Callile ; 23 miles E. of Guadalaxara. 



SOLANO, a fmall ifland near the coaft of Peru. S. lat. 

 12° 20'. — Alfo, a river of Mexico, which runs into the 

 Pacific ocean, N. lat. 10° 18'. 



SOLANOIDES, in Botany, a name given by Tourne- 

 fort to the Rivlna of Linnaus, on account of its refemblance 

 to SoLANUM ; which fee. See alfo Rivina. 



SOLANOS, in Meteorology, a name jriven to winds, 

 which, blowing over an extenfive traft of highly heated land, 

 become fo very drying, fcorching, and fuffocating, as to 

 produce dreadful effefts, and are often felt in the deferts of 

 Arabia, in the vicinity of the Perfian gulf, in the interior of 

 Africa, and in fome other places. 



SOLANTA, in Geography, a town on the N. coaft of 

 the ifland of Sicily, which gives name to a cape and bay : 

 8 miles E. of Palermo. N. lat. 38° 9'. E. long. 13° 36'. 



SOLANUM, in Botany, an ample genus, comprifing 

 various kinds of Nightftiade, and other deadly plants, along 

 with the efculent Tomato, Egg-plant, and even the valu- 

 able Potatoe, owes its name, according to fome authors, to 

 its comforting quality, fuch authors fuppofing the word to 

 have originated hom/olamen. This indeed might apply to 

 the potatoe, could that poflibly have been in the contempla- 

 tion of thofe who gave the name. The common derivation 

 a/ole, from the fun, carries no more conviftion along with 

 it ; nor can we for a moment admit the true orthography to 

 be Siilanum, from Sus, becaufe the plant is ufeful to fwine." 

 It is far more prudent to leave Solanum among the few 

 ancient names whofe fource cannot be traced. — Linn. Gen. 

 loo. Schreb. 134. Willd. Sp. PI. v. i. io2j. Mart. Mill. 

 Dift. v. 4. Sm. Fl. Brit. 256. Prodr. Fl. Grxc. Sibth. 

 T. I. 154. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. i. 396. Brown Prodr. 

 Nov. Holl. V. 1.444. Purfh v. I. 156. Juff. 126. Tourn. 

 t. 62. Lamarck Illullr. t. 115. Gasrtn. t. 131. (Lyco- 

 perficon; Tourn. t. 63. Melongena ; ib. t. 6^.) — Clafs 

 and order, Pentandria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Lurhla, Linn. 

 Selanea, JulT. 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, cut half 

 way down into five, ereft, acute, permanent fegments. Cor. 

 of one petal, wheel-fhaped ; tube very fhort ; limb large, 



II 



SOL 



plaited, fpreading, fomewhat reflexed, cut half way down 

 into five acute fegnnents. Stam. Filaments five, awl-lhaped, 

 very fmall ; anthers large, ereft, oblong, converging, 

 (lightly conneifted, of two cells, opening each by 3 terminal 

 pore. Pi/l. Germen fuperior, roundiih ; ftyle thread-fhaped, 

 longer than the ftamens ; Itigma obtufe. Peric. Berry 

 roundifh, fmooth, marked with a dot-like fear at the fura- 

 mit, of two cells, divided by a flelhy receptacle, which ig 

 convex at each fide. Seeds numerous, roundilh, lodged in 

 foft pulp. 



Efi'. Ch. Corolla wheel-fhaped. Anthers (lightly con- 

 nedled, opening by two terminal pores. Berry foperior, of 

 two cells. 



Notwithllanding the rude and irregular habit of this 

 genus, the flowers are often fo handfome as to attrafl much, 

 notice, and the fruit is, in fome cafes, very ftriking and 

 ornamental. The ftem is branched, herbaceous or fhrubby, 

 fmooth, haiiy or prickly. Leaves alternate, fimple or com- 

 pound, lobed, cut or entire ; fometimes prickly. Inflo- 

 refcence often lateral, and extra-axillary. Corolla blue, 

 purple, white, or yellow. Fruit yellow or red, rarely 

 black or white. The herbage is foetid, narcotic, and dan- 

 gerous. Flowers without fcent. Fruit often very naufeouB, 

 and in no inftance eatable without drefling. 



The fpecies are difpofed in tliree fedlions. The fourteenth 

 edition of Linn. Syit. Veg. contains forty-fix ; Willdenow 

 has eighty-three. Some new ones are added by Brown, 

 Purfh, Aiton, &c. We feled the following, adding feveral 

 unknown to the author whofe arrangement we adopt. 



Seftion i. iVithout prickles. Forty-four fpecies in Will- 

 denow ; two Britifh. 



S. taurifoUum. Laurel-leaved Nightfliade. Linn. Suppl. 

 148. Willd. n. I. — Stem arboreous, unarmed. Leaves 

 ftalked, ovate-oblong ; downy beneath. Panicle terminal, 

 repeatedly forked, divaricated. Calyx briftly on the inner 

 fide. — Native of the vaft forelU of Surinam ; unknown in 

 the European gardens ; nor has a figure of this fpecies 

 appeared. The branches are woody, round and fmooth. 

 Leaves near a fpan in length, entire, pointed, veiny ; 

 fhining, and flightly downy, above ; clothed with foft de- 

 preffed hairs, fpreading from all the finefl veins, beneath. 

 Footjialis an inch long, rather filky. Panicle repeatedly 

 forked and racemofe, widely fpreading, compofed of innu- 

 merable jloiuers, of which the calyx only remains on our 

 fpecimens, which is fmall, witii five acute fpreading fegments, 

 moft hairy or briilly within. Berries black, the fize of a 

 Black Currant. 



S. verha/cifolium. Mullein-leaved Nightfhade. Linn. Sp. 

 PI. 263. Willd. n. 2. Ait. n. 1. Jacq. Hort. Vind. v. i. 5. 

 t. 13. (S raaxime tomentofum, fpiiii' carens, virginianum ; 

 Pluk. Almag. 351. Phyt. t. 316. f. i.) — Stem fhrubby, 

 unarmed. Leaves alternate, ftalked, ovate, denfely downy, 

 entire. Corymbs termin.^1, divided. Calyx with five fhort 

 teeth. — Native of the W^eft Indies, from whence Catefby 

 communicated it to Miller. The plant is preferved in fome 

 curious floves, and flowers in fummer. The branches, Jlalhs, 

 calyx, and both fides of the leaves, are hoary, denfely 

 clothed with clofe itarry down. Flowers white, with yellow 

 anthers, far inferior in fize and beauty to the Potatoe- 

 bloffom. The fhallow divifions of the calyx, and the clofe, 

 not fhaggy, hairs of the flalks and branches, dilUnguifh it 

 from the auriculatum hereafter defcribed. 



S. inifquale. Unequal-leaved Woolly Nii^fhtfhade. — Stem 

 flirubby, unarmed. Leaves in pairs, ftalked, ovate, entire, 

 denfely downy j unequal at the bafe. Clufters lateral, di- 

 vided. Calyx of the fruit in five deep fegments. — Gathered 

 in New Granada by Mutis. The younger Linnieus con- 

 founded 



