a plant family that includes both deadly poisons and common foods like tomatoes and potatoes.
From Old English 'niht' (night) and 'sceadu' (shade), possibly because some species bloom at night or thrive in shade. The name reflects the plant's mysterious, dark reputation.
Nightshade plants contain alkaloid poisons that killed medieval nobility through food poisoning, yet tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes—all nightshades—became staple foods worldwide after the Americas were colonized. The same plant family gave us nutrition and poison.
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