The
Solanaceae, or
nightshades, are an economically important
family of
flowering plants. The family ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of important
agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent
alkaloids, and some are highly
toxic, but many cultures eat nightshades, in some cases as
staple foods. The family belongs to the order
Solanales, in the asterid group
dicotyledons (
Magnoliopsida). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of
habitats,
morphology and
ecology.
