Nicotiana alata Link & Otto

Solanaceae, Jennifer M Edmonds. Oliganthes, Melongena & Monodolichopus, Maria S. Vorontsova & Sandra Knapp. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2012

Type

Type: cultivated in Berlin Botanic Garden from seeds sent from Brazil, Sellow s.n. (B†, holo.) fide Goodspeed (1954)

Morphology General Habit

Annual to perennial herbs to 1.5 m tall, often rosulate initially.

Morphology Stem

Stems erect, sparsely branched mainly from base; all parts densely viscid-pubescent with long simple glandular-headed hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves dark green, spatulate, obovate or ovatelanceolate to elliptic, 7–11(–26) × 2.6–7.5 cm, bases decurrent into winged petioles which usually auricled and up to 2 cm long, margins undulating, apices acute, densely glandular-pubescent. Inflorescences terminal few-flowered usually lax unbranched racemes, bracteate; flowers nocturnally fragrant; pedicels erect, 0.4–1.7 cm long in flower and 1.2–1.4 cm long in fruit, densely pilose-viscid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tubular to campanulate, densely viscid-pilose externally, 16–25 × 6–9 mm, with five unequal narrowly triangular dentate or subulate-acicular calyx lobes, 4.4–11 × 1–3 mm, enlarging up to 19 mm long in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla usually white to pale green, 8–10 cm long and 3–5 cm diameter apically; tube slender, cylindrical below, becoming salverform above and dilated below lobes, 6–9.5 × 2 mm diameter basally increasing to 8–10 mm apically, with obovate obtuse and sometimes shortly bilobed lobes 1.8–2.5 × 1.2–2 cm, spreading after anthesis; densely viscid-pubescent externally, glabrous internally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens subequal; filaments free for 2–2.6 cm, the fifth free for 1.5–1.8 cm, cylindrical, glabrous throughout; anthers purple, globose, 2–3 × 1.9–2.5 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary ovoid to conical, 4–7.5 × 2–4 mm; disc crenulate, 2–3 mm diameter; style 6.1–7 cm long; stigma 0.7–1 × 2.1–3 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules light brown, globose to ovoid, 1.2–1.8 × 0.9–1.4 cm, dehiscing by 2 bifid smooth, glabrous valves which sometimes recurved apically, subtended by enlarged laciniate calyx lobes of enlarged viscid-pilose accrescent calyces

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds, brown, ovoid, globose or ellipsoid, 0.5–0.8 × 0.5–0.6 mm

Figures

Fig 3/14–16, p 22

Ecology

In or near villages, gardens, cattle bomas and rain-forest margins; 1650–1900 m

Conservation

Widespread; least concern (LC)

Note

Commonly known as the Jasmine- or flowering-tobacco, many horticultural variants of this species have been raised. The main alkoloidal constituent is again nicotine.

Distribution

Flora districts: K4 T3 T6 Range: Native to SE Brazil, N Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, now sparingly cultivated in South Africa, Europe and the US for ornamental uses, and becoming naturalised

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Social

Social uses.