solanum

solanum [səʊˈleɪnəm]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any tree, shrub, or herbaceous plant of the mainly tropical solanaceous genus Solanum: includes the potato, aubergine, and certain nightshades

[from Latin: nightshade]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Solanum - type genus of the Solanaceae: nightshade; potato; eggplant; bittersweet genus Solanum asterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs family Solanaceae, potato family, Solanaceae - large and economically important family of herbs or shrubs or trees often strongly scented and sometimes narcotic or poisonous; includes the genera Solanum, Atropa, Brugmansia, Capsicum, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana, Petunia, Physalis, and Solandra nightshade - any of numerous shrubs or herbs or vines of the genus Solanum; most are poisonous though many bear edible fruit Solanum crispum, potato tree - hardy climbing shrub of Chile grown as an ornamental for its fragrant flowers; not a true potato Solanum commersonii, Uruguay potato, Uruguay potato vine - South American potato vine bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, poisonous nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, woody nightshade, deadly nightshade - poisonous perennial Old World vine having violet flowers and oval coral-red berries; widespread weed in North America Solanum jamesii, wild potato - erect or spreading perennial of southwestern United States and Mexico bearing small pale brown to cream-colored tubers resembling potatoes Solanum jasmoides, potato vine - copiously branched vine of Brazil having deciduous leaves and white flowers tinged with blue eggplant bush, garden egg, mad apple, Solanum melongena, aubergine, brinjal, eggplant - hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable naranjilla, Solanum quitoense - small perennial shrub cultivated in uplands of South America for its edible bright orange fruits resembling tomatoes or oranges Solanum tuberosum, white potato, white potato vine, potato - annual native to South America having underground stolons bearing edible starchy tubers; widely cultivated as a garden vegetable; vines are poisonous giant potato creeper, potato vine, Solanum wendlandii - vine of Costa Rica sparsely armed with hooklike spines and having large lilac-blue flowers Brazilian potato tree, potato tree, Solanum macranthum, Solanum wrightii - South American shrub or small tree widely cultivated in the tropics; not a true potato