solanacea:. 591 



LII. THE SOLANUM FAMILY. SOLANACE^. 



Herbs, shrubs, or soft- wooded trees, with alternate leaves with- 

 out stipules, but sometimes accompanied by a smaller leaf at their 

 base ; the flowers solitary or in forked cymes, on lateral or termi- 

 nal peduncles. Calyx usually with 5 teeth, lobes, or segments. 

 Corolla monopetalous, with 5 or rarely 4 teeth or lobes, regular 

 or nearly so, and folded in the bud. Stamens as many as the 

 lobes of the corolla, and alternating with its divisions. Ovary 2- 

 celled, rarely incompletely 4-celled, with several ovules in each 

 cell. Eruit a berry or rarely a capsule, with several seeds. 



A numerous family in the tropical and warmer parts of the globe, 

 only represented in northern regions by a few stragglers from more 

 southern latitudes. A large proportion of the species contain more or 

 less of a narcotic, poisonous principle, although several are among the 

 important articles of food. 



Fruit a capsule. 



Corolla large, with a long tube. Capsule prickly, 4-valved 1. Datura. 

 Corolla obliquely campanulate, with a short tube. Capsule 



smooth 2. Henbane. 



Fruit a berry. 



Corolla rotate. Anthers close together, in a projecting cone, 



opening by pores at the top 3. Solanum. 



Corolla campanulate. Anthers distinct, opening by longitu- 

 dinal slits 4. Ateopa. 



Several Solanacece belonging to exotic genera are cultivated for use 

 or ornament, among which may be mentioned the Tobacco (Nicotiana) 

 and the closely allied ornamental genera Petunia and Nier ember gia, the 

 Mandrake (Mandragora), the Winter -cherry (Physalis), the Cayenne 

 Pepper (Capsicum), as well as the Oestrums and Fabianas and even 

 Nolanas of our gardens, which, although somewhat anomalous, are 

 considered by most botanists as belonging to the Solanmn family. 



I. DATURA. DATURA. 



Coarse annuals or soft-wooded shrubs. Corolla long, funnel-shaped, 

 and regular. Capsule large, opening in 4 valves, and partially divided 

 into 4 cells. 



A small genus, spreading over the warmer regions of the globe. The 

 large, shrubby Daturas often distinguished as Brugmansias on account 

 of their smooth, not prickly capsules, are from South America. 



