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SOLANACEAE 
many-seeclecl capsule or berry.—Species about 1600, tropical and warm- 
temperate regions. The family is remarkable for its large number of 
both poisonous plants and edible plants. Atropa belladonna L. furnishes 
atropine, Solanum nigrum L. (Black Nightshade) yields solanine, Datura 
stramonium L. (Jamestown Weed) yields stramonium, and Nicotiana 
tabacum L. (Tobacco) furnishes nicotine:—all effective alkaloidal poi¬ 
sons. Hyoscyamus niger L. (Henbane) and Physalis alkekengii L. 
(Winter Cherry) yield narcotics; while Solanum tuberosum L. (Potato) 
and Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. (Tomato) are edible. The leaves 
of all species are probably narcotic and exciting. 
Corolla rotate ; fruit a berry ; flowers in umbels or cymes. 
Anthers distinct, shorter than the filaments..1. Capsicum. 
Anthers more or less coherent, longer than the filaments. 
Anthers lightly joined around the st)de and opening by a terminal hole.... 
2. Solanum. 
Anthers united at tip and opening lengthwise.3. Lycopersicum. 
Corolla funnelform or tubular ; fruit a dry pod. 
Flowers solitar}^, very large ; pod prickly. 4. Datura. 
Flowers in a terminal panicle; pod smooth.5. Nicotiana. 
1. CAPSICUM L. 
Annual herbs. Leaves ovate, entire. Flowers white. Calyx truncate. 
Berry often dryish, inflated and 1-celled. (Etymology unknown.) 
1. C. annum L. Chile Pepper. Berry red or green, large, oblong or 
globular, often angled, dry.—Cult, from the American tropics. The berry 
is amazingly pungent and is used as a condiment by Mexicans and others. 
When dried and ground it forms Cayenne Pepper. Prescott, the historian, 
said, in Spain, that politeness made him taste, but no power on earth 
could compel him to eat foods cooked with cayenne, for they were hotter 
than the Inquisition. 
2. SOLANUM L. Nightshade 
Ours herbs with flowers in umbels on short lateral or terminal pe¬ 
duncles. Corolla rotate. Anthers almost sessile, lightly joined around the 
style and opening by a pore at apex. Fruit a berry. (Latin name of the 
nightshade, from solamen, quieting.) 
Plants not at all prickly ; anthers obtuse. 
Plants without rootstocks, not bearing tubers. 
Peduncles much shorter than the pedicels or almost none. 
1. S. umbelliferum. 
Peduncles longer than the pedicels. 
Annual ; flowers 4 to S mm. broad.2. S', nigrum. 
Perennial; flow r ers 6 to 11 mm. broad.3. S', douglasii. 
Plants with rootstock, the rootstock developing tubers....A S', tuberosum. 
Plants more or less prickly; anthers acute.5. S', melongea. 
1. S. umbelliferum Esch. Blue Witch. Stems mostly 5.7 to 8.6 dm. 
high, often woody at base; herbage finely pubescent with branched hairs; 
leaves elliptic-ovate; peduncles shorter than the pedicels or almost none; 
corolla blue, 1.8 cm. broad, with 5 pairs of greenish glands near the base; 
berry dull white, 8 to 18 mm. in diameter.—Gulches and canons. S. 
xanti Gray. Similar, herbaceous; pubescence viscid with simple hairs.— 
S. Cal. 
2. S. nigrum L. Black Nightshade. Low diffuse annual; herbage 
glabrous but the stems scahrbus on the angles; leaves elliptic-ovate. 
