Solanaceae
It is a family of great commercial importance. The alkaloids extracted from many members of this family are widely used as medicines. Because of their alkaloid content many of these are poisonous to livestock and mankind. Also food plants like Potatoes, Tomatoes, Bellpeppers, Chili-peppers, Cape Gooseberries belong to this family. Petunia and Cestrum species (Night Jassamine and Day Jassamine) and Schizanthus spp. (the Butterfly Flower) are some of the common ornamentals belonging to this family.
Herbs and shrubs (or sometimes arborescent). Leaves usually alternate, exstipulate, simple or pinnate- compound. Flowers solitary, axillary or in axillary or extra-axillary cymose inflorescence or paniculate; ebracteate, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, usually 5-merous, bisexual, rarely unisexual (as in some Withania spp.). Calyx (3-)5-(7-) lobed, campanualte to cupulate or tubular, usually persistent, often enlarged at fruiting. Corolla tubular to rotate to campanulate or infundibuliform, 5-(10)-lobed. Stamens usually 5, epipetalous, alternating with corolla lobes; anthers sometimes adnate to each other, dehisching longitudinally or by apical pores. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary, superior, 2-4-chambered with numerous ovules on axile placentation. Fruit a capsule or a berry. Seeds numerous, various.
It includes about 2500 species in 90 genera. Of these, it is represented in nature by 7 genera and 33 species in Saudi Arabia.