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Semi Technical Description of Solanaceae: Vegetative and Floral Characters, Description of Fruits and Seeds, Floral Formula and Floral Diagram, Economic Importance, Practice Problems, and FAQs
We have a lot of varieties of vegetables around us. You might have tried many of these vegetables in your diet. Do you like brinjal, tomato, potato, chilli, capsicum etc. Yes, you like the French fries and tomato sauce.
Fig: Vegetables
Do you know which family these vegetables belong to? What are the common characteristics of these vegetables?
These vegetables belong to the family Solanaceae. They are distributed worldwide. The flowers, seeds, roots and shoots of all these plants share some common characteristics. Let’s discuss more about these vegetables and the other plant members in detail in this article.
Table of contents
- Family Solanaceae - The potato family
- Vegetative characters
- Floral characters
- Description of fruits and seeds
- Floral formula of family Solanaceae
- Floral diagram of family Solanaceae
- Economic importance
- Practice Problems
- FAQs
Family Solanaceae - The potato family
It is the potato family that includes potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, capsicums, and chilies. They are widely found in tropics, subtropics, and temperate regions. It belongs to the division Spermatophyta, sub division Angiospermae, class dicotyledonae and the order Polemoniales.
Vegetative characters
The following are the major vegetative characters of the family Solanaceae:
Habitat
It can be found in the tropics, subtropics, and even temperate zones.
Habit
They are mainly of three types as per the habit.
Herb |
Shrub |
Rarely trees |
 Fig: Tomato plant |
Fig: Datura |
Fig: Angel’s trumpet |
Root System
It possesses a tap root system.
Fig: Tap root system
Shoot System
Stem is aerial, erect, herbaceous, and rarely woody. It is branched, hairy, or non-hairy (glabrous). Underground storage stems are normally present. Examples include potatoes.
Fig: Different types of stem
Leaf
In leaves, alternate phyllotaxy is present. Simple leaves are commonly seen and rarely pinnately compound leaves are present. They possess exstipulate leaves without stipules. The leaves show reticulate venation.
Fig: Different types of leaves
Floral Characters
The following are the common characteristics of the flowers of the family Solanaceae:
Inflorescence
Solitary, axillary or cymose inflorescence is seen in the family Solanaceae.
Fig: Cymose inflorescence
Description of sexuality and symmetry
This family possess bisexual flowers with actinomorphic condition.
Sexuality |
Symmetry |
|
Bisexual or hermaphrodite (⚥)
|
Actinomorphic (⊕) or radially symmetrical
|
Description of calyx and corolla
The following are the major characteristics of calyx and corolla.
Calyx (K) |
Corolla (C) |
|
Calyx is pentamerous that is they have 5 sepals - K5 Gamosepalous: Fused sepals - K(5)
|
Corolla is pentamerous that means they have 5 petals - C5 Gamopetalous: Fused petals - C(5)
|
|
Exhibit valvate aestivation
|
Exhibit valvate aestivation
|
|
Persistent calyx - It is remaining even after fruit formation
|
Fig: Chilli flower
Fig: Persistent calyxDescription of androecium and gynoecium
The following are the major characteristics of androecium and gynoecium:
Androecium (A) |
The family Solanaceae have five stamens - A5 Epipetalous - Filaments of stamen attached to petals |
 Fig: Epipetalous |
Gynoecium (G)
|
Bicarpellary - 2 carpels present Syncarpous - United carpels, G(2) Bilocular ovary Swollen placenta with multiple ovules
Axile placentation
Hypogynous flower with superior ovary, G
|
|
Description of fruits and seeds
The following are the major characteristics of fruits and seeds:
Fruits |
BerryA fleshy fruit that develops from the ovary of a single flower. The mesocarp and endocarp are fused to form a pulp. Examples include tomatoes. CapsuleA dry, dehiscent fruit that undergoes dehiscence and liberates seeds at maturity. Examples include Datura.
|
|
Seeds |
They possess multiple seeds. The seeds are dicotyledonous and endospermous.
|
|
Floral formula of family Solanaceae
Fig: Floral formula
Floral diagram of family Solanaceae
In the outermost whorl, the calyx has five fused sepals and shows valvate aestivation. In the second whorl, the corolla has five fused petals and shows valvate aestivation. In the third whorl, the androecium has five stamens that are attached to petals. This is known as the epipetalous condition. The ovary is bicarpellary, bilocular and the placenta is swollen with axile placentation.
Fig: Floral diagram
Economic importance
Family Solanaceae contains many economically important plants.
Source of food
Vegetables include tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and brinjal (Solanum melongena). Spices include green chilli (Capsicum frutescens).
Medicinal plants
It includes Atropa belladonna and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).
Fumigatory plants
It includes tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabaccum).
Ornamental plants
It includes Petunia.
Practice Problems
Q 1. Identify the medicinal plant of the potato family.
a. Ashwagandha
b. Petunia
c. Mulethi
d. Aloe
Solution: The medicinal plant of the Solanaceae or potato family is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). This plant has ayurvedic properties and therefore, is used to treat several ailments. In India, it is also named Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, and winter cherry. Hence, the correct option is a.
Q 2. Identify the character which is not shown in the floral formula.
a. Position of ovary
b. Symmetry of flower
c. Number of sepals
d. Placentation
Solution: To describe a flower, a floral formula uses symbols, alphabets, and numbers. The floral formula specifies the flower's symmetry, sexuality (unisexual or bisexual), the number of sepals and petals, as well as whether they are free or fused, the number of stamens (free or fused), the number of carpels (free or fused), and the position of the ovary. A floral formula does not include placentation, which is the arrangement of ovules in the ovary. Hence, the correct option is d.
Q 3. Which of the plants below is a member of the same family?
a. Lily, potato, onion
b. Groundnut, pea, lily
c. Potato, tomato, chilli
d. Lily, chilli, sunflower
Solution: The Solanaceae family includes potatoes, tomatoes, and chillies. The Liliaceae family includes lilies and onions. The Fabaceae family includes groundnuts and peas. Sunflowers are members of the Asteraceae family. Hence, the correct option is c.
Q 4. Which of the following families possess persistent calyx?
a. Solanaceae
b. Liliaceae
c. Fabaceae
d. Brassicaceae
Solution: The Solanaceae family is known for having a persistent calyx. All floral parts wither off after fertilisation, when the ovary turns into a fruit. Sepals, on the other hand, continue in the Solanaceae family even after fruit production. It is called the persistent calyx. Hence, the correct option is a.
FAQs
Q 1. Why are plants of the Solanaceae family called nightshade plants?
Answer: These plants are considered nightshade plants because some of these plants thrive in shaded regions, while others bloom at night.
Q 2. What do you mean by oblique ovary?
Answer: The term ‘oblique ovary’ refers to an ovary that is positioned obliquely in a diagonal plane. It belongs to the Solanaceae family.
Q 3. What do you mean by Solanum crops?
Answer: Solanum is the name of the largest genus in the family of Solanaceae. This botanical family has several important vegetable crops like potato, tomato, capsicum, chilli, and eggplant. It is composed of more than 2000 species which are distributed in the subtropical and tropical regions of Australia, Africa, and parts of Asia.
Q 4. Why is the Solanaceae family commonly known as the potato family?
Answer: A number of regularly gathered or cultivated species belong to the Solanaceae family. Solanum, which includes the potato, is the most economically important genus in the family.
Related Topics
| Semi-Technical Description of a Typical Flowering Plant: General description of the plant, Floral diagram, Floral formula, Practice Problems, and FAQs |
| Description of family Liliaceae and Brassicaceae: Vegetative and floral characters, Description of fruits and seeds, Floral formula and floral diagram, Economic importance, Practice Problems, and FAQs |
| Semi Technical Description of Fabaceae: Vegetative and floral characters, Description of fruits and seeds, Floral formula and floral diagram, Economic importance, Practice Problems and FAQs |
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