Floral Formula of Solanaceae: An Overview
It's common to refer to the Solanaceae family as the potato family. It belongs to the angiosperm family. This family of plants includes both temperate and tropical plants, and they are found all over the world. It consists of fruits, vegetables, herbs, a variety of spices, agricultural crops, and other things. Additionally, the floral symmetry, ovary position, the number of components, insertion, connotation, and adnation of a flower are all determined by the floral formula.
What is Solanaceae?
The flowering plant genus Solanaceae, usually referred to as nightshade, belongs to the potato family. About 3000 species of plants belong to the Solanaceae family. Since they are frequently utilized as a food source and for the production of drugs, the majority of these species are quite significant, at least for economic reasons.
Read more about the Endemic Species of India.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: What is the Floral Formula of Solanaceae?
The family of flowering plants known as the Solanaceae includes nightshades. It has 98 genera. The plants can appear as trees, shrubs, lianas, herbs, veins, bushes, and even epiphytes. It contains crops, weeds, ornamentals, spices, and medicinal plants. Examples include peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, etc. The floral formula of Solanaceae is as follows-
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Symbol Representation
The following table represents the floral formula of Solanaceae-
Symbols | Description |
⊕ | Actinomorphic (radial symmetry) |
⚥ | Bisexual |
K₍₅₎ | Calyx – 5 sepals, gamosepalous (united) |
C₍₅₎ | Corolla – 5 petals, gamopetalous |
A₅ | Androecium – 5 stamens, polyandrous (free), epipetalous (attached to petals) |
G₍₂₎ | Gynoecium – bi-carpellary, syncarpous (united), superior ovary |
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Key Properties
With the use of its broad key information, Solanaceae may be quickly identified. The following list of Solanaceae's salient characteristics includes-
- Common name: The Solanaceae family, sometimes known as the nightshade or potato family, is well-known.
- The Solanaceae family reproduces either by the production of seeds or fruit (either dehisced or intact).
- Around 90 groups make up this family, which has a range of roughly 3000 species.
- Distribution: The 90 groups that make up the sizable Solanaceae family may be found in both tropical and temperate climates. They may be found mostly in Central and South America. This family has 88 species and 15 groups prevalent in India. The majority of these plants may be found in gardens across India, and some of them can also be found in the Himalayas, in the south, and in the east.
Read more about the Floral Formula of Fabaceae and Floral Formula of Liliaceae.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Systematic Position of the Floral Formula of Solanaceae
The following are the systematic positions of the Solanaceae-
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
- Super Division: Spermatophyta
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Subclass: Asteridae
- Order: Solanales
- Family: Solanaceae
Read more about the Father of Biology and Gemmules.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Characteristics of Solanaceae
The following are some of the characteristics of the Solanaceae family-
- About 3000 species make up the 90 groups that make up the Solanaceae family.
- Fruits of plants belonging to the Solanaceae family can take the form of berries, which are also seen in Lyceum, or fruits like tomatoes or capsicum.
- Most of the 3000 species are either tiny trees, shrubs, or herbs.
- Plants in this family can have aerial, branching, or upright stems.
- These kinds of plants undergo entomophilous pollination, which uses an insect as the pollinator.
- The majority of the plants in this family have endospermic seeds, which are classified as dicots because they have two cotyledons.
- These species' plants have tap roots that are also regularly branching.
Read more about the Difference Between Monocotyledons and Dicots.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Features of the Solanaceae Family
The large flowering plant family Solanaceae contains 102 genera and 2500 species. The following are some of the features of the Solanaceae Family-
Common Name | Family Name |
Ashwagandha | Withania somnifera |
Belladonna | Atropa belladonna |
Bell pepper | Capsicum annuum |
Black Nightshade | S. nigrum |
Datura | Datura stramonium |
Eggplant | S. melongena |
Petunia | Petunia hybrida |
Potato | Solanum tuberosum |
Tobacco | Nicotiana tabacum |
Tomato | S. lycopersicum |
| Floral Formula of Solanaceae FAQs |
| Q. What is the floral formula for Solanaceae? |
A. (A) The large posterior petal in vexillary aestivation is referred to as the standard, the two lateral ones as wings, and the two small anterior petals as keel. (C) The stamens in pea flowers are monodelphious. |
| Q. How to write the floral formula of hibiscus? |
| A. The following is the format of the hibiscus floral formula: Br Brl ⊕ ⚥ K(5) C5 A(∞) G(5). Each symbol and number in this formula has been given a particular meaning and set of properties. |
| Q. Is Solanaceae in the NEET syllabus? |
| A. Yes, Solanaceae is there in the NEET syllabus. For more information, check the official syllabus. |
| Q. What is the floral formula of Fabaceae? |
| A. The formula for it is -% ⚥ K(5) C1+2+(2) A(9)+1 G1. Thus, the following formula provides information about the Fabaceae family's floral characteristics: Bisexual plant; %: Zygomorphic plant. |
| Q. What is the floral formula of rose? |
| A. The following is the floral recipe for roses. Figure Flower Formula. K (5) is a five-sepalled calyx. C5: five petals fused into a corolla. A - numerous stamens (many in this case denotes more than 10–12) |
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Economic Importance
The following are the economic importance of the Solanaceae family-
- Numerous economically and nutritionally significant developed plant species, including the tomato, potato, aubergine, and bean stew pepper, are members of the Solanaceae family.
- They also include a variety of phytochemicals, such as polyphenolics, which are bioactive compounds with a range of beneficial natural features for health, including effects on cell support, cancer prevention, and hypolipidemic.
- The most abundant sources of lycopene, a red-hued carotenoid with several health benefits, like the prevention of illnesses, are tomatoes and tomato-based foods.
- The tomato is perhaps the solanaceous plant species that is consumed and developed the most.
- Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are abundant sources of vitamins, minerals, and other substances that are vital to human health.
The table below details the comparison with Lamiaceae and Fabaceae:
Characteristic | Solanaceae | Lamiaceae | Fabaceae |
Floral Formula | ⚥ K(5) C(5) A5 G(2) | ⚥ K(5) C(5) A(4) G(2) | ⚥ K(5) C(5) A(10) G(1) |
Flower Symmetry | Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical) | Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical) | Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical) |
Calyx (Sepals) | 5 sepals (often fused) | 5 sepals (usually fused at the base) | 5 sepals (usually free) |
Corolla (Petals) | 5 fused petals (tubular) | 5 petals (bilabiate or two-lipped) | 5 petals (banner, wings, and keel) |
Androecium (Stamens) | 5 stamens (free or fused to corolla) | 4 stamens (2 long, 2 short, within corolla) | 10 stamens (9 fused, 1 free) |
Gynoecium (Carpels) | 2 fused carpels (bicarpellate) | 2 fused carpels | 1 carpel (simple ovary) |
Pollination Strategies | Attracts diverse pollinators (insects, birds) | Primarily attracts bees | Attracts bees and some butterflies |
Fruit Type | Berries, capsules | Nutlets, achenes | Pods (legumes) |
Examples of Key Members | Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Bell Pepper | Mint, Basil, Lavender, Sage | Peas, Beans, Lentils, Clover |
Related Articles-
Difference between Spermatogenesis and Oogenesis.
Father of Botany and Father of Zoology.
Thallophyte and Bryophyta.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Importance
Identification of Plants and their Classification is done with the help of this formula. If you want to know the structure of flowers in short, floral formulas are a great way to learn. These formulas represent major floral components, such as the number and arrangement of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. These formulas help botanists in identification and classification of plants. In different regions and studies, this standardized notation facilitates subtle communication and helps in comparative analysis.
New insights when it comes to evolution is revealed. The relationships between plants which is the subject of evolution is known. Botanists compare these formulas find the lineage and evolutionary changes within plant families. Since different plants have adapted according to their environment they are in, it provides insights regarding their diversity and changes.
Classification in terms of taxonomy and organizing them in taxonomic groups in done by these formulas. It helps botanists to put plants into categories of genera, families, and orders based on shared floral features. This classification is significant for charting out a systematic framework that shows the natural relationships between plants.
Insights in terms of ecology and functions. Floral formulas show how a flower's structure is often related to its ecological function. For instance, interactions with pollinators and pollination techniques can be influenced by the arrangement of floral elements. Studying plant ecology and the dynamics of interactions between plants and pollinators is aided by an understanding of these linkages.
Floral Formula of Solanaceae: Points of Remember
- A flower's floral formula contains specific information on the symmetry, sex, and kinds and forms of the many floral components.
- Each flower has 5 petals and 5 sepals (gamopetalous).
- It is a symbolic representation that is written as an equation, with each symbol denoting a distinct concept.
- Medicines contain Datura, Attropa belladonna, and Withania somnifera (ashwagandha).
- The actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, hypogynous, bracteate, or ebracteolate flowers of the family Solanaceae are the norm.
- The ovary is superior, and the gynecium has two syncarpous carpels.
- There are five polyandrous stamens that are linked to the petals in the androecium.
- While tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and capsicum are eaten as food.
- In several additional rites and rituals, flowers from the genus Lycium and the genus Solanum are used as decorations.