Black nightshades – weeds or wonders? The Morelloid Clade of Solanum
Recent phylogenomic studies have shown Solanum to have a solid structure of monophyletic clades, although the relationships between these are in some cases not clear. One of these monophyletic lineages is the Morelloid clade – sometimes known as the black nightshades. A series of taxonomic revisions of the some 70 species of this group is in preparation, with two parts already published. The morelloids have always been considered difficult, in part due to the morphological plasticity, the similarity of species, and the many collections made of these often weedy plants. For example, most of these species in North America were called Solanum nigrum, although there are several narrowly distributed endemics there! I will review the diversity of these plants, highlighting the different issues around these species in different parts of their range.
About the speaker:
Sandy Knapp is a botanist who is a specialist on the taxonomy and evolution of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, and she has spent much time in the field collecting plants, mostly in South America. Her work in Solanaceae spans biodiversity from taxonomy to phylogenetics and evolution. Current work includes a worldwide monograph of the genus Solanum, and the species of Lycianthes from New Guinea. She is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and several popular books on the history of science and botanical exploration, including the award-winning Potted Histories (2004), and more recently Extraordinary Orchids (2021). She is actively involved in promoting the role of taxonomy and the importance of science for conservation and sustainable development worldwide. Sandy is the current President of the Linnean Society of London. She has received awards for her work in outreach (Peter Raven Outreach Award by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists), biodiversity conservation (UK National Biodiversity Network’s John Burnett Medal), and botanical science (Rolf Dahlgren Prize); she holds honorary professorships at University College London and Stockholm University. She has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academia Nacional de Ciencias of Argentina, and Academia Europeana.
