Solanum nigrum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species:S. nigrum
Subspecies
S. nigrum nigrum
S. nigrum schultesii
Common name: Black nightshade, Black-berry night shade, Nightshade, Poisonberry.
Assamese: Latkochu. Hindi: Makoi
Biology of the plant:
Annual herb, erect, 25-100 cm high, pubescent with simple hairs. Stems are often angular, sparsely-pubescent. The blades of the leaves are ovate, the bases are cuneate, 4-10 and 3-7 cm wide, pubescent, entire or coarsely dentate, the apex is obtuse.
Inflorescences are extra-axillary umbels, the calyx cup-shaped, the corolla is white, 8-10 mm long , the lobes ovate-oblong, pubescent abaxially, ciliate spreading. Filaments are 1-1.5 mm long, anthers oblong, 2.5-3.5 mm. Fruiting pedicels are strongly deflexed. The fruiting calyx is applied to the berry. The fruits are dull black, globose, 8-10 mm in diameter. The fruits are toxic.
Plant parts used
The leaves, the whole plant, the fruits, the roots.
Distribution:
Native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas , Australasia and South Africa.
In India it is mostly found in south and northeast part of India, kerela, Karnataka, A.P , Assam. West bangal , UP ,Bihar etc.
Constituents
Steroid alkaloids: All green and unripe parts contain steroid glycosides, in form of glycoalkaloids.
Importance:
Solanum nigrum has been widely used as a food since early times. In India, the berries are casually grown and eaten; but not cultivated for commercial use. In South India, the leaves and berries are routinely consumed as food after cooking with tamarind, onion, and cumin seeds. The berries are referred to as "fragrant tomato." Although not very popular across much of its growing region, the fruit and dish are common in Tamil Nadu Kerala, Southern Andhra Pradesh and Southern Karnataka.
S. nigrum is an important ingredient in traditional Indian medicines. Infusions are used in dysentery, stomach complaints and fever. The juice of the plant is used on ulcers and other skin diseases. The fruits are used as a tonic, laxative, appetite stimulant; and also for treating asthma and "excessive thirst". Traditionally the plant was used to treattuberculosis. It is known as Peddakasha pandla koora in the Telangana region. This plant's leaves are used to treat mouth ulcers that happen during winter periods of Tamil Nadu.
Chinese experiments confirm that the plant inhibits growth of cervical carcinoma in mice.
Conclusion:
The species have not yet been commercialized or promoted as crop plants. This is largely due to the attitude of farmers and research workers who generally discourage the use of such a notorious weed as a crop plant. Indeed, the success of species belonging to the section Solanum as weeds in areas in which vegetable, cereal and root crops are economically important is probably the major reason responsible for their lack of promotion as minor crop plants.
The problems caused by these species as weeds, range from economic losses due to competition with the crop being grown, to contamination of the actual crop through berry juice or seeds, to costs incurred for herbicidal and insecticidal control of the plants.
Reference :
Black nightshades (Solanum nigrum L. and related spc.) by Jennifer M. Edmonds & James A. Chweya.
000000000
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species:S. nigrum
Subspecies
S. nigrum nigrum
S. nigrum schultesii
Common name: Black nightshade, Black-berry night shade, Nightshade, Poisonberry.
Assamese: Latkochu. Hindi: Makoi
Biology of the plant:
Annual herb, erect, 25-100 cm high, pubescent with simple hairs. Stems are often angular, sparsely-pubescent. The blades of the leaves are ovate, the bases are cuneate, 4-10 and 3-7 cm wide, pubescent, entire or coarsely dentate, the apex is obtuse.
Inflorescences are extra-axillary umbels, the calyx cup-shaped, the corolla is white, 8-10 mm long , the lobes ovate-oblong, pubescent abaxially, ciliate spreading. Filaments are 1-1.5 mm long, anthers oblong, 2.5-3.5 mm. Fruiting pedicels are strongly deflexed. The fruiting calyx is applied to the berry. The fruits are dull black, globose, 8-10 mm in diameter. The fruits are toxic.
Plant parts used
The leaves, the whole plant, the fruits, the roots.
Distribution:
Native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas , Australasia and South Africa.
In India it is mostly found in south and northeast part of India, kerela, Karnataka, A.P , Assam. West bangal , UP ,Bihar etc.
Constituents
Steroid alkaloids: All green and unripe parts contain steroid glycosides, in form of glycoalkaloids.
Importance:
Solanum nigrum has been widely used as a food since early times. In India, the berries are casually grown and eaten; but not cultivated for commercial use. In South India, the leaves and berries are routinely consumed as food after cooking with tamarind, onion, and cumin seeds. The berries are referred to as "fragrant tomato." Although not very popular across much of its growing region, the fruit and dish are common in Tamil Nadu Kerala, Southern Andhra Pradesh and Southern Karnataka.
S. nigrum is an important ingredient in traditional Indian medicines. Infusions are used in dysentery, stomach complaints and fever. The juice of the plant is used on ulcers and other skin diseases. The fruits are used as a tonic, laxative, appetite stimulant; and also for treating asthma and "excessive thirst". Traditionally the plant was used to treattuberculosis. It is known as Peddakasha pandla koora in the Telangana region. This plant's leaves are used to treat mouth ulcers that happen during winter periods of Tamil Nadu.
Chinese experiments confirm that the plant inhibits growth of cervical carcinoma in mice.
Conclusion:
The species have not yet been commercialized or promoted as crop plants. This is largely due to the attitude of farmers and research workers who generally discourage the use of such a notorious weed as a crop plant. Indeed, the success of species belonging to the section Solanum as weeds in areas in which vegetable, cereal and root crops are economically important is probably the major reason responsible for their lack of promotion as minor crop plants.
The problems caused by these species as weeds, range from economic losses due to competition with the crop being grown, to contamination of the actual crop through berry juice or seeds, to costs incurred for herbicidal and insecticidal control of the plants.
Reference :
Black nightshades (Solanum nigrum L. and related spc.) by Jennifer M. Edmonds & James A. Chweya.
000000000
Comments