Solanum, << soh LAY nuhm, >> is an important group of plants in the nightshade family. Over 1,000 species of herbs and shrubs are included in the group. They grow throughout the world but are especially abundant in warm and tropical regions of North and South America, Africa, and Australia. Some plants are cultivated for their showy flowers and others for their edible parts. Some species contain medicinal compounds.
Two of the most common species of solanum are the potato plant and the eggplant. The horse nettle and buffalo bur are spiny, troublesome weeds native to the United States. The kangaroo apple was once used as food by the Aboriginal peoples in Australia. Several species, including the bittersweet and the common nightshade, have been used in ointments and other medicines.
