Solanaceae Family
Solanaceae is a relatively small angiosperm family with c. 2,700 species with a disproportionate number of cultivated species used as food (potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants), medicines (henbane and deadly nightshades), and in horticulture (petunias). The family also includes several recreational drugs (tobacco and devil’s trumpet).
Solanaceae currently includes 106 genera divided into 8 subfamilies and 24 tribes (some lacking formal Latin botanical names indicated in quotation marks below) following World Flora Online.
Solanum currently includes c. 1,243 accepted species (but see the most updated species number under the home page of this data portal), which is nearly half of the species diversity in the family. The genus is one of the most economically important genera in the World, as it contains three major crop species (tomato S. lycopersicum, potato S. tuberosum, and brinjal eggplant S. melongena) and at least 24 regionally important crops such as African eggplant (S. macrocarpon), bitter tomato also known as scarlet eggplant or gilo (S. aethiopicum), pepino (S. muricatum), lulo (S. quitoense), and African nightshades (S. scabrum and its relatives).
About SolanaceaeSource
SolanaceaeSource aims to provide a worldwide taxonomic monograph of the nightshade family whose species that are used as food (potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants), medicines (henbane and deadly nightshades) and in horticulture (petunias). We began this journey with the online monograph of all species in the mega-diverse genus Solanum. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the Solanum project as part of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventories (PBI) mission.
The data presents the most taxonomically authoritative list of Solanaceae names. Our dataset includes all published names of Solanaceae from the International Plant Names Index and we continually work through these names with the help of the Solanaceae taxonomic community worldwide. This means the data behind Solanaceae Source and the Solanaceae Data Portal are constantly being updated and improved.
The data shown here also flows into [World Flora Online] and is run and maintained by the Taxonomic Expert Network of Solanaceae. We welcome new members so if you would like to join us, please contact us.
If you want to cite Solanaceae Data Portal or SolanaceaeSource, please use the following citation format: Solanaceae TEN. Current year. SolanaceaeSource. Date downloaded. https://solanaceae.hp.gbif-staging.org/
NOTE: All occurrence and specimen data currently presented is GBIF data, not our taxonomically verified Solanaceae data. Use the GBIF data with caution because of determination issues. We are working on how to add our taxonomically verified specimen data from SolanaceaeSource data.
Solanaceae Infrafamiliar Classification
- Cestroideae
- “Protoschwenkieae”
- Protoschwenkia
- Benthamielleae
- Benthamiella
- Combrera
- Pantacantha
- Browallieae
- Browallia
- Streptosolen
- Cestreae
- Cestrum
- Sessea
- Vestia
- Salpiglossideae
- Salpiglossis
- Reyesia
- “Protoschwenkieae”
- Duckeodendroideae
- “Duckeodendeae”
- Duckeodendron
- “Duckeodendeae”
- Goetzeoideae
- “Goetzeae”
- Nicotianoideae
- Anthocercideae
- Nicotianeae
- Petunioideae
- Petunieae
- Schizanthoideae
- Schizantheae
- Schwenckioideae
- Schwenckieae
- Solanoideae
- “Salpichroeae”
- Capsiceae
- Datureae
- Hyoscyameae
- Jaboroseae
- Latueae
- Lycieae
- Mandragoreae
- Nicandreae
- Physalideae
- Iochrominae
- Physalidinae
- Withaninae
- Solandreae
- Solaneae
Solanum Infrageneric Classification
Solanum is divided into XX major and XX minor clades based on the most recent phylogenetic evidence (REFS here). These clades act as the current informal infrageneric classification. Some of these clades match (at least roughly) to formally described infrageneric groups, and these are indicated below.