Lycopersicon

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Fruit of three cultivars of the common tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Colorful Red and Yellow Tomatoes 2816px.jpg
Fruit of three cultivars of the common tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Lycopersicon was a genus in the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshades and relatives). It contained about 13 species in the tomato group of nightshades. First removed from the genus Solanum by Philip Miller in 1754, its removal leaves the latter genus paraphyletic, so modern botanists generally accept the names in Solanum. The name Lycopersicon (from Greek λυκοπέρσικον meaning "wolf peach") is a reference to German folklore about members of the nightshade family being used to summon werewolves, [1] and still used by gardeners, farmers, and seed companies. Collectively, the species in this group apart from the common cultivated plant are called wild tomatoes.

Contents

Cladistic analysis of DNA sequence data confirms Lycopersicon as a clade that is part of a lineage of nightshades also including the potato (S. tuberosum). If it is desired to continue use of Lycopersicon, it can be held as a section inside the potato-tomato subgenus whose name has to be determined in accordance with the ICBN. [2]

Selected species

Former specific names are cited if they have significantly changed when moving to Solanum, are: [2]

Arcanum group

Lycopersicon group

Lycopersicon (Tomato) flowers, and developing fruit Tomato flower and young fruit.jpg
Lycopersicon (Tomato) flowers, and developing fruit
"Yellow Pearshaped" tomatoes "Yellow Pearshaped".JPG
"Yellow Pearshaped" tomatoes

Eriopersicon group

Neolycopersicon group

Other "wild tomatoes"

Fruiting branch of Solanum carolinense. These "wild tomatoes" are poisonous. Solanum carolinense 1391374.jpg
Fruiting branch of Solanum carolinense . These "wild tomatoes" are poisonous.

Colloquially, wild tomato is used for several unrelated Solanum species with tomato-like fruit or leaves. The term is inaccurate and may be dangerous, as some of these species may be fatally poisonous:

and others.

References

  1. "Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato, Tomatoes) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. NC State University. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 Solanaceae Source [2008]: Phylogeny. Retrieved 2008-OCT-01.

Further reading