Tomato is a member of the Solanaceae family, which includes several other economically important crops such as potato, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), representing one of the most valuable plant families for vegetable and fruit crops.
What is a tomato closely related to?
Because of its flower structure, the tomato is obviously closely related to the genus Solanum which includes the potato (S. tuberosum), eggplant (S. melongena), and a number of species called nightshades.
What family does a tomato belong to?
The cultivated tomato is a member of the genus Solanum within the family Solanaceae. The Solanaceae, commonly known as the nightshade family, also includes other notable cultivated plants such as tobacco, chilli pepper, potato and eggplant.
What vegetables are tomatoes related to?
Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Tobacco is also in the nightshade family. Nightshades are unique because they contain small amounts of alkaloids.
Is tomato related to Pepper?
Tomatoes and peppers both belong to the Solanaceae, commonly referred to as the nightshade family. While tomato belong to genus Solanum, which includes crops such as potato and eggplant, pepper belongs to the genus Capsicum which includes both sweet and hot peppers.
Is a tomato related to a potato?
Potatoes belong to a small family, the Nightshade or Solanaceous family. The other members are tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Potatoes resemble tomatoes more than the other family members.
What fruit is similar to a tomato?
Some of the fruits that look the most like tomatoes include persimmon, tamarillo, and tomatillo. In terms of taste, you can sometimes swap tomatoes for tomatillos or pumpkins. There’s nothing quite like a tomato, but these fruits are similar!
What is the cousin of a tomato?
Tomatillo
Tomatillo, Physalis ixocarpa, and tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, come from different branches of the same family tree. They are cousins, both part of the nightshade family, along with eggplant, peppers and potatoes.
Are we related to tomatoes?
For example, people and tomatoes share as much as 60 percent of the same genes.
Why is a tomato a fruit but not a pepper?
To a botanist, a fruit is an entity that develops from the fertilized ovary of a flower. This means that tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, corn kernels, and bean and pea pods are all fruits; so are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, melons and mangos.
What foods are related to tomatoes?
Potato plants are part of the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.
Members of the nightshade family include:
- potato.
- tomato.
- eggplant.
- paprika.
- cayenne.
- tobacco.
- tomatillos.
- goji berries.
What foods are similar to tomatoes?
Whole “Crisp” Tomato Substitutes
- Zucchini. While zucchini won’t have the robust tartness of tomatoes, the texture is not entirely dissimilar when cooked.
- Grapes. A small number of grapes added to a dish will replace the slightly sweet and tart flavor of tomatoes very well.
- Carrots.
- Underipened Mangoes.
- Bell Peppers.
- Olives.
What do tomatoes and potatoes share in common?
We think of potatoes and tomatoes as being quite different, and yet the two plants are closely related. Not only are both in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), but both are in the same genus (Solanum).
Can I be allergic to tomatoes?
Tomatoes are one of the common causes of food allergy, ranging from 1.5% to 20% in the population with foodborne allergies (4). Tomato allergies have been reported in almost 1.5% of the entire population in Northern Europe, 16% in Italy and 5.6% in Germany (1, 8).
Are paprika and tomatoes related?
Nightshades are in the Solanacease family, which has more than 2,000 different plant species. Tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, eggplant and peppers are common edible nightshades. Many herbs and spices are derived from nightshades, including cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder and paprika.
Is watermelon a nightshade?
Although there is a plant known as “Watermelon Nightshade” due to it’s leaves resembling watermelon vine leaves, watermelons are not a member of the nightshade family. Common nightshade foods include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, tomatillo, chili peppers, paprika and others.
Are watermelons related to tomatoes?
According to watermelon.org, like the pepper, tomato, and pumpkin, watermelon is a fruit, botanically. It is the fruit of a plant originally from a vine of southern Africa. Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds (classified as Citrullus lantus), related to the cucumber, squash and pumpkin.
Are strawberries and tomatoes related?
Tomatoes and strawberries are from very different plant families.
Why are tomatoes like potatoes?
Tomatoes and potatoes belong to the Solanaceae or Nightshade Family. Plants within a family share certain morphological characteristics. The flowers on tomatoes and potatoes are similar in appearance. Potato fruit are similar in shape (though much smaller in size) to those on tomatoes.
What tastes like a tomato but isn t?
Tomatillos have a slightly more acidic, slightly less sweet flavor than ripe and unripe tomatoes. Overall, the flavor is more vegetal and bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery.
Are tomatoes and pumpkins related?
Botanically, it’s in the nightshade family along with tomato, potato, peppers and eggplant.