Solanum

Solanum, a genus of plants of the natural order Solanaceæ, containing a great number of species, distributed all over the world, but particularly abundant in South America and the West Indies. Some are herbaceous, others shrubs; some unarmed, and some spiny; many covered with a down of starlike hairs. The flowers are in false umbels, or almost in panicles; seldom in racemes or solitary. The anthers open by two holes at the top. The berries are two-celled, and contain many smooth seeds. The species of this genus almost always contain in all their parts a poisonous alkaloid, Solanine, sometimes so much that the leaves or berries cannot be eaten without danger, whilst in a few species the quantity present is so small that these parts are eaten freely, being agreeable and harmless. By far the most important of all the species is the Potato (q.v.), in which, however, solanine is found in considerable quantity, so that not only the herbage, but the juice of the raw tubers, is unwholesome. Of the species with eatable fruit the principal is the Egg-plant (q.v.). The only British species are the Bitter-sweet (q.v.) and Common Night-shade (q.v.), both of which possess poisonous and medicinal qualities. The berries, leaves, bark, and roots of various species are employed for different medicinal uses in warm countries. The berries of S. saponaceum are used as a substitute for soap. The fruit of S. sodomœum, Apple of Sodom, a native of North Africa, contains a greenish pulp when ripe, which if eaten causes headache, madness, and death. S. quitoense yields a wholesome fruit resembling an orange in appearance and somewhat also in flavour. The fruit of S. muricata is eaten in Peru and has the flavour of a melon. The Kangaroo-apple of Australia is the fruit of S. laciniatum, which is wholesome when ripe, but poisonous when unripe. The berries of S. cougularis are employed in Egypt to curdle milk.