solaneæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A tribe of plants of the order Solanaceæ. It is distinguished by flowers with the corolla somewhat equally plicate or divided into valvate or induplicate lobes, and having perfect stamens and a two-celled ovary which becomes an indehiscent berry in fruit, containing compressed seeds with a curved embryo and slender seed-leaves not broader than the radicle. It includes 31 genera, very largely natives of South America. For some of the most important, see Solanum (the type), Capsicum, Lycopersicum, and Physalis.