Nicotiana

Nicotiana is a genus comprising herbaceous plants and shrubs within the Solanaceae family, native to the Americas, Australia, Southwestern Africa, and the South Pacific. This genus includes various species commonly known as tobacco plants. While some Nicotiana species are cultivated for their ornamental value in gardens, N. tabacum is globally grown for producing tobacco leaves, which are then processed into a range of tobacco products such as cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes, and various forms of smokeless tobacco like chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, snuff, and snus.

Taxonomy

  • Nicotiana acuminata (Graham) Hook.
  • Nicotiana africana Merxm.
  • Nicotiana alata Link & Otto
  • Nicotiana attenuata Torrey ex S. Watson
  • Nicotiana benthamiana Domin

Manmade hybrids

  • Nicotiana didepta (N. debneyi x N. tabacum)
  • Nicotiana digluta (N. glutinosa x N. tabacum)
  • Nicotiana sanderae (N. alata x N. forgetiana)

Formerly placed here

  • Petunia axillaris (as N. axillaris Lam.)
  • Large white petunia (Petunia axillaris)

Etymology

  • The genus Nicotiana was named after Jean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal.
  • The word nicotine is derived from Nicotiana.

Ecology

  • Some animals have evolved the ability to feed on Nicotiana species without being harmed.
  • Tobacco plants, such as N. glauca, have become invasive species in some places.
  • Flea beetles caused significant damage to young tobacco plantings in the 19th century.
  • Tobacco and its related products can be infested by pests such as the tobacco beetle and tobacco moth.
  • Grubs of Lasioderma serricorne and caterpillars of Ephestia elutella are major pests.

Cultivation

  • Several Nicotiana species are grown as ornamental plants.
  • They are popular vespertines, with flowers opening in the evening.
  • Garden varieties are derived from N. alata and N. sanderae.
  • The tobacco budworm is a major pest of Nicotiana species.
  • Lime Green hybrid cultivar has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Bibliography:

  • Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (1999): Nicotiana. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
  • Panter, K.E.; Keeler, R.F.; Bunch, T.D.; Callan, R.J. (1990). Congenital skeletal malformations and cleft palate induced in goats by ingestion of Lupinus, Conium, and Nicotiana species. Toxicon. 28 (12): 1377-1385. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(90)90154-y. PMID2089736.
  • Ren, Nan; Timko, Michael P (2001). AFLP analysis of genetic polymorphism and evolutionary relationships among cultivated and wild Nicotiana species. Genome. 44 (4): 559-571. doi:10.1139/gen-44-4-559. PMID11550889. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05.

Nicotiana - Wikipedia Data Sources

Reference URL
Glossary https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/nicotiana
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotiana
Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q851829
Knowledge Graph https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0268zvl
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