Mastodawn

The #mandrake #Mandragora #officinarum (#Solanaceae) is native to the #Mediterranean region,evtl. except for the Levant, where it might be M. #autumnalis. It prefers open and drier #habitats. Its #roots can vaguely resemble #humanfigures, which is why it had #spiritual significance in the Middle Ages. G. Benítez et al.(2023) studied its history as a #medicinalplant.
©#StefanFWirth

Please support me with a coffee:
https://ko-fi.com/sfwirth

Ref
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874

#illustrations
©S.F.Wirth

FID Anglo-American Culture Feb 12

2 new books on #plants & the #nonhuman in #Literature & #Culture
Elizabeth A. Campbell explores the #Solanaceae (belladonna, potato, tobacco, pepper, tomato etc) in diverse texts such as poetry & fiction but also botanical treatises, newspaper reports & medical ads

#CulturalStudies #FoodStudies

LionelB Jan 26

A Chalice Cup Vine flower (Solandra maxima).

It is huge and rather threatening in its overblown voluptuousness.

Solanaceae, so either good to eat or - way more likely - deadly poisonous.

#gardening #spain #Solanaceae

Plazi Species Jan 16

#NewSpecies!
Solanum nectarifolium
A newly discovered solanaceae from #australia!

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FBF66E47-3147-5228-9A81-452004105DBC
Publication: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.268.169893
#Phytokeys #SolanumNectarifolium

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #ecology #taxonomy #nature #biodiversity #conservation #botany #wildflowers #flowers #wildplants #plants #wildlife #solanaceae

Ms. Que Banh Nov 24

November 24th & our #GroundCherries are still producing #fruits 😍

#Solanaceae #EdibleGarden #HuskTomato #Annuals #GrowFood #FoodSecurity #HomegrownFood #EdiblePlants #EdibleGardening #FoodGardening #Saanich #Wsanec #NoPesticides #NoHerbicides #Gardeners #Zone8 #GrowItEatIt #AutumnFruits #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #Green #November

Plazi Species Nov 21

#NewSpecies!
Solanum stellaticalycinum
A newly discovered solanaceae from #peru!

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6BC1FD64-C1CC-59CC-BD84-6160ECC54ED5
Publication: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.266.166870
#Phytokeys #SolanumStellaticalycinum

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #ecology #taxonomy #nature #biodiversity #conservation #botany #wildflowers #flowers #wildplants #plants #wildlife #solanaceae

greendragon Sep 2, 2025

Unexpected, bird seeded plant: Solanaceae. Schwarzer Nachtschatten #plant #birdseeds #solanaceae

StarFlowerStudioNY Aug 23, 2025

Tomato is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and was was grown by the Aztecs who called it "tomatl". In Europe and colonial America, it was thought to be a deadly poisonous plant:

"The “golden apple” became the “poison apple” because it was thought that aristocrats got sick and died after eating them—but wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, which were high in lead content. Because tomatoes are so high in acidity, when placed on this particular tableware, the fruit would leach lead from the plate, which was said to result in illness from lead poisoning. No one made this connection between plate and poison at the time; the tomato was picked as the culprit."
-Smithsonian

#nightshades #solanaceae #tomatoes

OtterForce Aug 13, 2025

These little #berries popped out to me after mowing the yard. There's some #nightshaColorADayt particular area, these may be part of that.

📷 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
🔎 Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R w/ Ext. Tube

#MicroFourThirds #ColorADay #RedWed #Plants #BackyardBotany #Solanaceae

CellBioNews Feb 25, 2025

#DNA #demethylation explains how #tomatoes convert their bitter #toxins into something more palatable.

#gene_expression #physalis #agriculture #solanaceae #glycoalkaloid #epigenetic

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-dna-demethylation-tomatoes-bitter-toxins.html

DNA demethylation explains how tomatoes convert their bitter toxins into something more palatable

A multi-institutional team of bioengineers has identified the genetic mechanism that converts bitter toxins to palatable compounds in tomatoes. In their study published in the journal Science Advances, the group analyzed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data obtained through other research efforts and conducted experiments in their lab that involved blocking the production of certain proteins to learn how tomatoes make themselves taste better to seed dispersers.

Phys.org