SOLANACEAE
General description:- Herbs or shrubs.
Leaves:- Simple to pinnate, exstipulate.
Flowers:- Actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hermaphrodite. Calyx (3-)5(-6) lobed or -dentate. Corolla rotate to bell-shaped (campanulate), infundibuliform or tubular, 5(6- or 10)-lobed, rarely subentire; lobes valvate or pleated (plicate) in bud. Stamens 5(-8), attached to (adnate) the corolla-tube and alternating with the lobes; anthers usually with inwards opening (introrse) longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary superior, with 2 (rarely more) loculi; style simple; stigma entire to 2-lobed.
Fruit:- A capsule or berry usually 2-locular. Seeds usually numerous (rarely 2-11).
DATURA
General description:- Erect annuals.
Leaves:- Alternate, simple, shortly petiolate.
Flowers:- Actinomorphic, solitary, axillary. Calyx tubular, often 5-angled, 5-dentate, opening by a slit running around the circumference (circumscissile) after flowering, the lower part persistent. Corolla tubular or infundibuliform; limb 5(10)-lobed. Stamens 5, equal, included or exserted, inserted near base of corolla. Stigma 2-lobed. Ovary 2-celled (2-locular), sometimes 4-locular at base.
Fruit:- A capsule, dehiscing regularly by 4 valves or irregularly.
Key features:-
1) Herb, often woody at base.
2) Fruit a capsule.
3) Calyx circumscissile, the base persistent.
4) Capsule with longitudinal or irregular dehiscence, usually spiny.
HYOSCYAMUS
General description:- Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, often viscid.
Leaves:- Alternate, simple.
Flowers:- Axillary, in bracteate spikes or racemes. Calyx campanulate-tubular, 5-dentate, 10- or more veined, accrescent. Corolla usually broadly infundibuliform, with 5 obtuse lobes. Stamens usually slightly exserted, inserted at base of corolla. Stigma capitate.
Fruit:- A capsule, included in the calyx, opening by a slit running around the circumference (circumscissile); seeds kidney-shaped (reniform) to orbicular.
Key features:-
1) Plant pubescent to villous, often viscid.
2) Pedicels not more than 1 cm.
3) Inflorescence simple.
4) Corolla usually broadly infundibuliform.
5) Capsule circumscissile.
LYCIUM
General description:- Usually spiny shrubs.
Leaves:- Alternate or in clusters, simple, entire, shortly petiolate.
Flowers:- Solitary or in small clusters, axillary, pedicellate. Calyx cupuliform, regularly 5-dentate, or 2-lipped with 2-3 teeth connate. Corolla infundibuliform or subcylindrical. Stamens inserted in throat of corolla-tube. Stigma shallowly 2-lobed.
Fruit:- A berry.
Key features:-
1) Flowers solitary, or in pairs or small clusters, sometimes grouped into spikes.
2) Shrub, usually spiny.
MANDRAGORA
General description:- Perennial herbs with stout, erect, often bifid, occasionally anthropomorphic, fleshy tap-root; acaulescent or with very short stem.
Leaves:- In a dense basal rosette, simple.
Flowers:- Solitary, axillary. Calyx bell-shaped (campanulate), 5-lobed, accrescent. Corolla campanulate, 5-lobed, pleated (plicate) between the lobes, persistent. Stamens 5, subexserted, inserted in lower half of corolla tube; filaments covered with long, shaggy hairs. (villous) below; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary surrounded at base by glandular disc; stigma pin-headed (capitate).
Fruit:- A berry, becoming single-celled (unilocular) by obliteration of septum.
Key features:-
1) Calyx divided to not more than ½-way.
2) Plant with stout, fleshy tap-root.
3) Leaves in a dense basal rosette.
NICOTIANA
General description:- Annual to perennial herbs, rarely shrubs.
Leaves:- Alternate, simple.
Flowers:- Actinomorphic or zygomorphic, pedicellate, in a terminal panicle or false raceme. Calyx subglobose to tubular, sometimes campanulate or cup-shaped (cupuliform), 5-toothed (dentate), persistent, often somewhat inflated in fruit. Corolla tubular or infundibuliform; limb 5-lobed (rarely subentire). Stamens 5, subequal or 1 shorter, included (rarely slightly exserted). Stigma pin-headed (capitate).
Fruit:- A capsule, dehiscing by 2 or 4 distal valves.
Key features:-
1) Calyx at least 10 mm.
2) Fruit a capsule with at least 20 seeds.
3) Leaves pubescent, often viscid.
4) Inflorescence usually branched.
5) Corolla tubular or narrowly infundibuliform.
6) Capsule dehiscing by apical valves.
SOLANUM
General description:- Herbs or shrubs, sometimes scrambling or climbing, usually hairy, often with prickles.
Leaves:- Alternate or in pairs, simple to pinnate.
Flowers:- Inflorescence axillary, extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, of 1 or more helicoid cymes usually becoming scorpioid, sometimes of cymose umbels, rarely reduced to a single flower. Calyx campanulate, usually 5-fid. Corolla rotate; limb orbicular or pentagonal to stellate, often recurved. Stamens exserted, inserted in throat of corolla-tube; anthers usually connivent, in a cylindrical to ovoid or conical column, dehiscing by 2 terminal pores, later splitting introrsely. Stigma capitate.
Fruit:- A succulent to dry berry, 2- to 4-locular; seeds small, ovoid, compressed.
Key features:-
1) Corolla rotate.
2) Anthers dehiscing by terminal pores.
WITHANIA
General description:- Shrubs.
Leaves:- Alternate or opposite, simple, entire.
Flowers:- Solitary or in clusters, axillary. Calyx campanulate, 5-dentate, accrescent. Corolla campanulate, 5-lobed. Stamens 5, equal, included, inserted near base of corolla; anthers connivent. Ovary with nectary at base; stigma capitate.
Fruit:- A globose berry, surrounded by inflated calyx; seeds subreniform.
Key features:-
1) Anthers connivent.
2) Corolla campanulate.