J. Edmonds, I. Friis, and M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia 3: 197-221
plants herbs, shrubs, trees, or climbers, sometimes with prickles or thorns; hairs, if present, simple, branched, or stellate. Leaves alternate or paired, simple or pinnately divided; stipules absent. Inflorescences of solitary flowers or cymose, axillary, extra-axillary, or leaf-opposed. Flowers usually bisexual, usually radially, sometimes bilaterally, symmetric, 5-merous; calyces usually lobed, often enlarged and persistent in fruit; corollas tubular to rotate, petals more or less united; stamens inserted on the corolla, alternating with the lobes, sometimes 1 or more reduced; anthers dehiscing longitudinally or by apical pores; gynoecium 1; ovary superior, 2-5-celled, with axile placentation; ovules usually numerous; style 1, capitate or lobed. Fruits berries or capsules; seeds with endosperm; embryos usually curved.
The Solanaceae include about 95 genera and 2300 species. It is widespread in tropical regions but best represented in tropical America.