Kingdom Plantae Family Solanaceae Scientific name Lycianthes rantonnetii Rank Species | Order Solanales Genus Lycianthes Higher classification Lycianthes | |
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Similar Lycianthes, Solanum laxum, Nightshade, Solanum, Embryophyte | ||
Lycianthes rantonnetii (blue potato bush) is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay.Cultivated as ornamental the world over.
The blue potato bush is one of about 150 species in the genus Lycianthes, which are found mostly in tropical regions of the Americas, and others located in the Asia-Pacific region. Lycianthes is apparently closely related to the chili peppers (Capsicum). However, it was long confused with the nightshades (Solanum), and several little-known Solanum species presumably should be included with Lycianthes.
The species is named for Barthélémy Victor Rantonnet, a 19th-century French horticulturalist.
References
Lycianthes rantonnetii Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA