Deadly nightshade and related plants

-
The Solanaceae is a family of flowering plants, many of which are edible, while others are considered poisonous.

The family is informally known as the nightshade or potato family.

The family includes the Datura or Jimson weed, eggplant, mandrake, deadly nightshade or belladonna, capsicum (paprika, chile pepper), potato, tobacco, tomato, and petunia.

The most important species of this family for the global diet is the potato.

The Solanaceae are known for possessing a diverse range of alkaloidal glucosides, or simply alkaloids.

As far as humans are concerned, these alkaloids can be desirable, toxic, or both, though they presumably evolved because they reduced the tendency of animals to eat the plants..

For more information about the topic Deadly nightshade and related plants, read the full article at Wikipedia.org.
Related articles:

Spinach — Spinach is a flowering plant native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant (rarely biennial), which grows to a height of up to one ... > read more

Tomato — The tomato is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant, typically growing to 1-3 m tall, with a weakly woody stem that usually ... > read more

Flowering plant — The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are the dominant and most familiar group of land plants. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms ... > read more

Potato — The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. Potato plants have a low-growing habit and ... > read more

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Plant: Cell Structure And Function

-
Image
Plant Cell Plant cells contain a variety of membrane-bound structures called organelles. These include a nucleus that carries genetic material; mitochondria that generate energy; ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum that manufacture proteins; smooth endoplasmic reticulum that manufactures lipids used for making membranes and storing energy; and a thin lipid membrane that surrounds the cell. Plant cells also contain chloroplasts that capture energy from sunlight and a single fluid-filled vacuole that stores compounds and helps in plant growth. Plant cells are surrounded by a rigid cell wall that protects the cell and maintains its shape. The tremendous variety of plant species is, in part, a reflection of the many distinct cell types that make up individual plants. Fundamental similarities exist among all these cell types, however, and these similarities indicate the common origin and the interrelationships of the different plant species. Each individual plant cell is at
Read more

Insectivorous Plants

-
Image
Insectivorous Plants, also carnivorous plants, plants that gain some of their nutrition from animals, especially insects, captured by the plants themselves. Most occur in bogs where the soil is acid and poor in available nitrogen; capturing insects is one way of getting nitrogenous compounds without manufacturing them. At the same time, the green leaves of these plants manufacture carbohydrates. The trapping mechanism of insectivorous plants is relatively small. Therefore, prey is almost inevitably limited to small insects. Insectivorous plants are diverse and represent members of three orders of dicots : Nepenthales, Scrophulariales, and Rosales. A majority are in the Nepenthales, including the pitcher plant , sundews and the Venus's-flytrap, and East Indian pitcher plants. Others include the bladderworts, butterworts, and the Australian pitcher plant. Discussed below are the sundews and bladderworts. Certain species of fungus are known to be carnivorous as well. Venus’s-Flytrap
Read more

Parts of a flower

-
Image
All flowers share several basic features. Sepals, protective coverings that are closed over the bud before it blooms, are the outermost flower parts. One step inward lie the petals, which serve to attract pollinators using both coloration and scent-producing glands. Inside the petals are the flower's sexual organs, the stamens and pistil. Each stamen, the pollen producing part of the flower, includes an anther and a filament. At the center of the flower is the pistil, composed of a stigma, a style, and an ovary. Within the ovary is a small cavity that contains the ovule, an egg-shaped structure that, when fertilized, eventually becomes a seed. Flowers typically are composed of four parts, or whorls, arranged in concentric rings attached to the tip of the stem. From innermost to outermost, these whorls are the (1) pistil, (2) stamens, (3) petals, and (4) sepals. Pistil The innermost whorl, located in the center of the flower, is the female reproductive structure, or pistil. Often va
Read more