Solanaceae | Family Description | Biology - HSEB Notes

Distribution : They are distributed widely in the temperate and tropical region. Most of the plants belonging to this family are mesophytes. They are cultivated for vegetables , as They are cultivated for vegetables , as ornamental plant etc.

Habit :Most of them are annual herbs , rarely trees.

Vegetative characters

-  Root : Tap root system with lateral branches.

-  Stem : Erect , herbaceous , aerial , branched , solid or fistular , cylindrical. In some the stem is modified into tubers as in Solanum tuberosum.

-  Leaves : Cauline ,ramal, pertiolate or sessil or sub sessile , exstipulate , simple ,ovate , margin : dentate or entire , unicostate, reticulate venation

Floral characters

-  Flowers : Ebracteate , pedicellate , complete ,actinomorphic , rarely zygomorphic ,bisexual, pentamerous , hypogynous

- Inflorescence : Cymose , generallyaxillary but sometime extra-axillary or terminal cyme

-  Calyx : Sepal - 5 , gamosepalous , hairy , campanulate , inferior, valvate aestivation

- Corolla : Petal - 5 , gamopetalous , infundibuliform or tubular , inferior , valvate aestivation,

- Androceium : Stamen - 5, polyandrous , epipetalous , alternate to petal, anther : basifixed , dithecous ,introse

- Gynoceium : Carpel - 2 , bicarpellary , syncarpous , ovary superior and obliquely placed, bilocular with many ovaries on swollen placenta , sometime tetralocular due to development of false septum , aile placentation , style simple , stigma : capitate or bilobed

-  Pollination : Cross , entomophilous

-  Fruit : A many seeded berry or capsule

-  Seed : Albuminous or endospermic which is curved or straight

HSEB botany notes | Economic importance of family Solanaceae

HSEB biology , botany notes : 

Economic importance of family Solanaceae are as follows: 

1. Vegetables : Most of the plant belonging to this family are cultivated for vegetable purpose. Some of them include Solanum tuberosum , Capsicum annum , Solanum melonfena , lycoprsicum esculentum etc. Tomoatos' is also used in making sauce.

2. Capsicum annum is used as condiment , in spices and beverage pungent.

3. Medicine : Dried leaves , stem and roots of Atropa belladona yield atropin which is relieve. Dried leaves and roots of Datura metel is used for treatment of asthama.

4. Edible fruit are obtained  from some species of this family like Rhasbari (from Physalis sp).

5. Nocotiana tobaccum is famous for chewing and for smoking but it's excess use can harm the body.

6. Ornamental purpose :  Cestrum diurnum , Cestrum , nocturnal , Cestrum elegans is used in garden as ornamental plant.