Solanaceae Source

A global taxonomic resource for the nightshade family

Identification keys

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Global key to Solanum groups (i.e., clades)

  • Use this key to find out the Solanum group your plant belongs to and find the right species-level key to use.
  • Group names come from the phylogenetic framework of Solanum published in Gagnon et al. (2022) and Särkinen et al. (2013).
  • Start by learning how to use the key by reading a quick pdf guide. We advise testing the key with test specimens first - it helps!
  • Cite as: "Solanum Key Consortium (year of access) Global key to Solanum groups. https://solanum-groups.identificationkey.org/mkey.html"
  • To alert us to mistakes or to give us feedback please contact Tiina Särkinen (tsarkinen@rbge.org.uk) or Sandra Knapp (s.knapp@nhm.ac.uk)
    Contributors to the Solanum Key Consortium include (in alphabetical order by surname): Xavier Aubriot, Gloria Barboza, Lynn Bohs, Franco E. Chiarini, Rocío Deanna, Leandro Giacomin, Yuri Gouvêa, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Sandra Knapp, Chris Martine, Andres Orejuela, Clara Ines Orozco, Iris E. Peralta, Tiina Särkinen, João R. Stehmann, Eric Tepe
  • Photographs used in the key were contributed by (in alphabetical order by surname): Pedro Acevedo Rodríguez, Gloria E. Barboza, Michael Benedito, Gabriel Beltrán, Lynn Bohs, Asunción Cano, Franco Chiarini, John L. Clark, Max Coleman, Rocio Deanna, Martin Gardner, Leandro Giacomin, Paul Gonzales, Mariano Gorostiza Salazar, Yuri Gouvêa, David Goyder, William Haber, Paulina Hechenleitner, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Bente Klitgaard, Gwilym Lewis, Chris Martine, Alex Monro, Michael Nee, Patricio Novoa Quezada, Pieter Pelser, Sandra Knapp, David Rae, Tony Rebelo, David Spooner, João R. Stehmann, Stephen Stern, Eric Tepe, Juan D. Tovar, Mario Vallejo-Marín, Maria Vorontsova, Kim Watson, John R.I. Wood, Dani Zamir

Global key to Solanum species (excl. spiny species of the Americas, Australia, and Oceania)

  • Use this key to identify your species. The key covers all Solanum species except for spiny species from the Americas, Australia, New Guinea, and Oceania. If you have a specimen not covered by this key, see our list below of previously published dichotomous species-level keys (listed by group in alphabetical order).
  • Includes species of the wild tomato (Tomato group), wild Potato (Petota group), African Non-Spiny, Anarrhichomenum, Archaeosolanum, Articulatum, Basarthrum, Dulcamaroid, Etuberosum, Herpystichum, Morelloid, Normania, Oxycoccoides, Pteroidea, Regmandra, Valdiviense, and Thelopodium clades, as well as all spiny species of Africa, Madagascar, and tropical Asia (excluding New Guinea)
  • Start by learning how to use the key by reading a quick pdf guide. We advise testing the key with test specimens first - it helps!
  • Cite as: "Solanum Key Consortium (year of access) Global key to species of Solanum (excl. spiny species of the Americas, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Oceania). https://solanum-species.identificationkey.org/mkey.html"
  • To alert us to mistakes or to give us feedback please contact Tiina Särkinen (tsarkinen@rbge.org.uk) or Sandra Knapp (s.knapp@nhm.ac.uk)
  • Contributors to the Solanum Key Consortium include (in alphabetical order by surname): Xavier Aubriot, Gloria Barboza, Lynn Bohs, Franco E. Chiarini, Rocío Deanna, Leandro Giacomin, Yuri Gouvêa, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Sandra Knapp, Chris Martine, Andres Orejuela, Clara Ines Orozco, Iris E. Peralta, Tiina Särkinen, João R. Stehmann, Eric Tepe
    Photographs used in the key were contributed by (in alphabetical order by surname): Pedro Acevedo Rodríguez, Gloria E. Barboza, Michael Benedito, Gabriel Beltrán, Lynn Bohs, Asunción Cano, Franco Chiarini, John L. Clark, Max Coleman, Rocio Deanna, Martin Gardner, Leandro Giacomin, Paul Gonzales, Mariano Gorostiza Salazar, Yuri Gouvêa, David Goyder, William Haber, Paulina Hechenleitner, Rebecca Hilgenhof, Bente Klitgaard, Gwilym Lewis, Chris Martine, Alex Monro, Michael Nee, Patricio Novoa Quezada, Pieter Pelser, Sandra Knapp, David Rae, Tony Rebelo, David Spooner, João R. Stehmann, Stephen Stern, Eric Tepe, Juan D. Tovar, Mario Vallejo-Marín, Maria Vorontsova, Kim Watson, John R.I. Wood, Dani Zamir

Keys to African Solanum (all species, native and introduced) 

Keys to Acanthophora group 

  • Dichotomous key: under construction by Franco Chiarini and Sandy Knapp.
  • Key to species with flattened or winged seeds from Brazil and Argentina: Chiarini & Mentz (2012) A new species of Solanum sect. Acanthophora (Solanaceae) from Argentina and Brazil. PhytoKeys 18: 1-10
  • Overview: Levin et al. (2005) A four-gene study of evolutionary relationships in Solanum section Acanthophora. American Journal of Botany 92: 603-612. 

Keys to African Non-Spiny group   

Keys to Allophyllum group 

Keys to Anarrhichomenum group 

Keys to Androceras group 

Keys to Anomalostemon group 

Keys to Archaeosolanum group 

Keys to Articulatum group  

Key to Asterophorum group 

  • Dichotomous key: Gouvêa & Stehmann (2019) A revision of the Solanum asterophorum species group (sugb. Leptostemonum). Systematic Botany 44: 210-232. 

Key to Bahamense group 

  • Dichotomous key: Strickland-Constable et al. (2010) Species identity in the Solanum bahamense species group (Solanaceae, Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum). Taxon 59: 209-226. 

Keys to Basarthrum group 

Keys to Brevantherum group 

Keys to ​Campechiense group 

  • The "group" currently consists of a single species (S. campechiense)
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Key to Carolinense group  

  • Dichotomous key: Wahlert et al. (2015) A revision of Solanum section Lathyrocarpum (the Carolinense clade, Solanaceae). Systematic Botany 40: 853-887. 

Keys to Crinitum group 

  • Global key: under construction by Frank Farrugia et al.
  • Key to extra-Amazonian Brazilian species: Gouvêa et al. (2019) Solanum medusa (Solanaceae), a new wolf-fruit from Brazil, and a key to the extra-Amazonian Brazilian Androceras/Crinitum clade species. PhytoKeys 118: 15-32. 
  • Key to Andean species: Farrugia & Bohs (2010) Two new South American species of Solanum section Crinitum (Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 1: 67-77.

Keys to Cyphomandra (Pachyphylla) group 

Keys to Cyphomandropsis group 

Keys to Dulcamaroid group 

Key to ​Elaeagnifolium group 

  • Dichotomous key: Knapp et al. (2017) A revision of the Solanum elaeagnifolium clade (Elaeagnifolium clade; subgenus Leptostemonum, Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 84: 1-104. 

Keys to Erythrotrichum group 

  • Dichotomous key: Agra (2008) Four new species of Solanum section Erythrotrichum (Solanaceae) from Brazil and Peru, and a key to the species of the section. Systematic Botany 33: 556-565.
  • Overview: Agra (2004) Sinopse taxonômica de Solanum sect. Erythrotrichum (Solanaceae). Pp. 192–211 in: Rangel-C, Aguirre, Andrade-C & Cañas (eds.), Memorias Octavo Congresso Latinoamericano e Segundo Colombiano de Botánica. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Keys to Etuberosum group 

  • Multi-access online key: Global key to all non-spiny Solanum species and spiny species of Africa and tropical Asia
  • Dichotomous key: Contreras-M & Spooner et al. (1999) Revision of Solanum section Etuberosum (subgenus Potatoe). In Nee, Symon, Lester & Jessop (eds.), Solanaceae IV, pp. 227-245. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
  • Dichotomous key (updated): Spooner et al. (2017) Taxonomy of wild potatoes and their relatives in southern South America (Solanum sects. Petota and Etuberosum). Systematic Botany Monographs 100: 1-236. 

Key to Euacanthum group 

  • The "group" currently consists of a single species (S. euacanthum)

Keys to Gardneri group 

  • Dichotomous key: under construction.
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Geminata group 

Keys to Gonatotrichum group 

Keys to Herpystichum group 

Keys to Inornatum group 

Keys to Lasiocarpa group 

Keys to Micracantha group 

  • Dichotomous key: under construction by Stephen Stern
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Morelloid group 

  • Multi-access online key: Global key to all non-spiny Solanum species and spiny species of Africa and tropical Asia
  • Key to Old World species: Särkinen et al. (2018) A revision of the Old World Black Nightshades (Morelloid clade of Solanum L., Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 106: 1-223.
  • Key to North and Central America and the Caribbean species: Knapp et al. (2019) A revision of the Morelloid clade of Solanum L. (Solanaceae) in North and Central America and the Caribbean. PhytoKeys 123: 1-144.
  • Key to South American species: Knapp et al. (2023) A revision of the South American species of the Morelloid clade (Solanum L., Solanaceae). PhytoKeys 231: 1-342. 
  • Key to Argentinean species: Barboza et al. (2013) Solanum Grupo VII. Moreloide. In: Barboza (coord.), Flora Argentina: Flora vascular de la Republica Argentina, Vol. 13, pp. 231–264. San Isidro: Instituto de Botanica Darwinion.
  • Overview: Särkinen et al. (2015) True Black nightshades: Phylogeny and delimitation of the Morelloid clade of Solanum. Taxon 64: 945-958.

Keys to Multispinum group 

  • The "group" currently consists of a single species (S. multispinum)
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Key to Nemorense group 

Keys to Normania group 

Keys to ​Old World Leptostemonum group(s) 

  • Overview: Whalen (1984) Conspectus of species groups in Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum. Gentes Herbarum 12: 179-282.
  • Key to African and Malagasy species: Vorontsova & Knapp (2016) A revision of the ‘Spiny Solanums’, Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (Solanaceae), in Africa and Madagascar. Systematic Botany Monographs 100: 1-432.
  • Key to Australian species: Symon (1981) A revision of the genus Solanum in Australia. Journal of Adelaide Botanical Gardens 4: 1-367.
  • Key to Queensland species: Bean (2004) The taxonomy and ecology of Solanum subg. Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter (Solanaceae) in Queensland and far north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Austrobaileya 6: 639-816.
  • Key to New Guinean species: Symon (1985) The Solanaceae of New Guinea. Journal of Adelaide Botanical Gardens 8: 1-171.
  • Key to Eggplant clade: Knapp et al. (2013) Wild relatives of the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.: Solanaceae): New understanding of species names in a Complex Group. PLoS ONE 8: e57039.
  • Key to Echinatum clade: Bean (2012) A taxonomic revision of the Solanum echinatum group (Solanaceae). Phytotaxa 57: 33-50.
  • Key to Asian species: under construction by Xavier Aubriot and Sandy Knapp, see overview in Aubriot et al. (2016) Tropical Asian species show that the Old World ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum pro parte: Solanaceae) is not monophyletic. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181: 199-223.
  • Revision of Petrophilum complex with recently described species: Bean (2016) The Solanum petrophilum complex (Solanaceae) revised, with the description of three new species. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 29: 23-36.

Keys to Oxycoccoides group 

Keys to Petota group 

  • Multi-access online key: Global key to all non-spiny Solanum species and spiny species of Africa and tropical Asia
  • Overview: Spooner et al. (2014) Systematics, diversity, genetics, and evolution of wild and cultivated Potatoes. Botanical Review 80: 283-383.
  • Key to the cultivated species: Ovchinnikova et al. (2011) Taxonomy of cultivated potatoes (Solanum section Petota: Solanaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 165: 107-155.
  • Key to southern South America: Spooner et al. (2016) Taxonomy of wild potatoes and their relatives in southern South America (Solanum sects. Petota and Etuberosum). Systematic Botany Monographs 100: 1-238. 
  • Key to northern South America: Spooner & Jansky (2019) Taxonomy of wild potatoes in northern South America (Solanum section Petota). Systematic Botany Monographs 108: 1-305. 
  • Key to North & Central America: Spooner et al. (2004) Wild potatoes (Solanum section Petota: Solanaceae) of North and Central America. Systematic Botany Monographs 68: 1-209. 

Keys to Polygamum group 

  • The "group" currently consists of a single species (S. polygamum)
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Pteroidea group 

Keys to Reductum group 

Keys to Regmandra group 

Keys to Sisymbrifolium group 

  • A group of two species (S. sisymbrifolium, S. hasslerianum) treated in Chiarini (2013) Grupo IV. Leptostemonum. In: Barboza (coord.), Flora Argentina: Flora vascular de la Republica Argentina, Vol. 13, pp. 231–264. San Isidro: Instituto de Botanica Darwinion.
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Thelopodium group 

Keys to Thomasiifolium group 

  • Dichotomous key: under construction by Yuri Gouvêa
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Tomato group 

Keys to ​Torva group 

  • Dichotomous key under construction.
  • Overview: Stern et al. (2011) Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum). Taxon 60: 1429-1441.

Keys to Trachytrichium group 

Keys to Valdiviense group 

Keys to Wendlandii group 

 


Taxonomic name: 
Solanaceae (Solanaceae), Solanum (Solanaceae), Quincula (Solanaceae), Normania (Solanaceae), Cyphomandra (Solanaceae), Melongena (Solanaceae), Triguera (Solanaceae), Lycopersicon (Solanaceae), Quincula lobata (Solanaceae), Solanum asterophorum (Solanaceae), Solanum echinatum (Solanaceae), Solanum echinatum (Solanaceae), Solanum echinatum (Solanaceae), Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae), Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae), Solanum melongena (Solanaceae), Solanum melongena (Solanaceae), Solanum petrophilum (Solanaceae), Solanum phoxocarpum (Solanaceae), Solanum thelopodium (Solanaceae), Solanum wendlandii (Solanaceae), Solanum anomalostemon (Solanaceae), Solanum havanense (Solanaceae), Solanum havanense (Solanaceae), Solanum terminale (Solanaceae), Solanum terminale (Solanaceae), Dulcamara (Solanaceae), Solanum abutiloides (Solanaceae), Solanum amotapense (Solanaceae), Solanum asperolanatum (Solanaceae), Solanum bradei (Solanaceae), Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae), Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae), Solanum clandestinum (Solanaceae), Solanum dulcamara (Solanaceae), Solanum endopogon (Solanaceae), Solanum ensifolium (Solanaceae), Solanum etuberosum (Solanaceae), Solanum euacanthum (Solanaceae), Solanum evolvulifolium (Solanaceae), Solanum fragile (Solanaceae), Solanum fragile (Solanaceae), Solanum gardneri (Solanaceae), Solanum hirtum (Solanaceae), Solanum laciniatum (Solanaceae), Solanum laciniatum (Solanaceae), Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae), Solanum megalonyx (Solanaceae), Solanum mite (Solanaceae), Solanum monarchostemon (Solanaceae), Solanum montanum (Solanaceae), Solanum montanum (Solanaceae), Solanum multispinum (Solanaceae), Solanum muricatum (Solanaceae), Solanum muricatum (Solanaceae), Solanum nemorense (Solanaceae), Solanum pennellii (Solanaceae), Solanum polygamum (Solanaceae), Solanum polygamum (Solanaceae), Solanum polygamum (Solanaceae), Solanum pyracanthos (Solanaceae), Solanum pyracanthos (Solanaceae), Solanum reductum (Solanaceae), Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae), Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae), Solanum sumacaspi (Solanaceae), Solanum taeniotrichum (Solanaceae), Solanum trisectum (Solanaceae), Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae), Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae), Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae), Solanum turneroides (Solanaceae), Solanum valdiviense (Solanaceae), Solanum viarum (Solanaceae), Solanum brevifolium (Solanaceae), Solanum aethiopicum (Solanaceae), Solanum aethiopicum (Solanaceae), Solanum apiahyense (Solanaceae), Solanum campechiense (Solanaceae), Solanum campechiense (Solanaceae), Solanum campechiense (Solanaceae), Solanum leucopogon (Solanaceae), Solanum oxycoccoides (Solanaceae), Solanum thomasiifolium (Solanaceae)
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith