nicotiana

[New Latin (herba) nicotiāna, (herb of) Nicot, nicotiana, after Jean Nicot (1530?-1600), French diplomat.]

A genus of plants in the family Solanaceae; contain nicotine which causes dyspnea, incoordination, tremor and convulsions; includes N. amplexicaulis, N. attenuata, N. debneyi, N. exigua, N. glauca (tree tobacco), N. gossei, N. megalosiphon, N. suaveolens, N. suaveolens var. parviflora (N. debneyi), N. trigonophylla, N. velutina. Most of the species are also called wild or native tobacco.

• N. tabacum — ingestion of the leaves or stalks of this plant by sows in early pregnancy causes congenital arthrogryposis of their piglets. Cows may also be affected. The teratogen is the alkaloid anabasine. Called also tobacco—the commercial tobacco plant.

Ni-ko-she-a'na. Seventy herbaceous species, occasionally shrubby or treelike, mostly tropical, all American except for one found in Australia. Prized for their long flowering period.

Description
Whole plant more or less covered with short, sticky hairs. Stems branching, sometimes joined. Leaves large, soft, alternate, simple, the juice having narcotic or poisonous properties. Flowers in clusters at ends of branches, sweet-scented, originally opening at night and remaining open on sunless days; white, greenish yellow, or purple. Calyx of 5 partly united green sepals. Corolla tubular or funnel-shaped. Stamens 5.

How to Grow
Easy to grow from seeds started indoors in early spring and transplanted to garden as soon as danger of frost is over. Lime and potash are beneficial. Water generously during hot, dry weather. Cut back fertilizer and water in late summer to rejuvenate plants. Sometimes grown as pot plants. They prefer warm weather.

Nicotiana alata
Flowering Tobacco . To 5 ft. (1.5 m) high, erect and slender. Flowers fragrant at night, the tube 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) long, and the limb 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide, in numerous colors including white, pink, mauve, red, maroon, purple, and even green. Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay. Many cultivars are available, some with larger flowers, and some day-blooming dwarf kinds with showier but less fragrant blossoms. Also called N. affinis . Tender annual.

Nicotiana Tabacum
Tobacco . To 6 ft. (1.8 m) high. Flowers stalked, the corolla 2 in. (5 cm) long, the tube white, cream, rose, or purplish red, its lobes pointed. Grown commercially as smoking tobacco, but also a striking garden plant. Tropical America. Tender annual.

The botanical name for tobacco.