Nicotiana (/ˌnɪkoʊʃiˈeɪnə,nɪˌkoʊ-,-kɒti-,-ˈɑːnə,-ˈænə/^[2][3][4]) is agenus ofherbaceous plants andshrubs in thefamilySolanaceae, that isindigenous to the Americas, Australia, Southwestern Africa and the South Pacific. VariousNicotianaspecies, commonly referred to astobacco plants, are cultivated as ornamental garden plants.N. tabacum is grown worldwide for the cultivation oftobacco leaves used for manufacturing and producingtobacco products, includingcigars,cigarillos,cigarettes,chewing tobacco,dipping tobacco,snuff, andsnus.

Nicotiana
Nicotiana tabacum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Tribe:	Nicotianeae
Genus:	Nicotiana L.
Type species
Nicotiana tabacum L.
Species
See text
Synonyms[1]
Amphipleis Raf. Blenocoes Raf. Dittostigma Phil. Eucapnia Raf. Langsdorfia Raf. Lehmannia Spreng. Merinthe Salisb. Nicotia Opiz Nicotidendron Griseb. Perieteris Raf. Polydiclis Miers Sairanthus G.Don Siphaulax Raf. Tabacum Gilib. Tabacus Moench Waddingtonia Phil.

The 79 accepted and known species include:^[1][5][6]

• Nicotiana acuminata(Graham)Hook. – manyflower tobacco or many-flowered tobacco^[7]
• Nicotiana africanaMerxm.^[7]
• Nicotiana alataLink &Otto – jasmine tobacco, sweet tobacco, winged tobacco, Persian tobacco,tanbaku (inPersian)^[7]
• Nicotiana attenuataTorrey exS. Watson – coyote tobacco^[7]
• Nicotiana benthamianaDomin^[7] – benth, benthi
• Nicotiana clevelandiiA. Gray^[7] – Cleveland's tobacco
• Nicotiana glaucaGraham – tree tobacco, Brazilian tree tobacco, shrub tobacco, wild tobacco, tobacco plant, tobacco bush, tobacco tree, mustard tree^[7]
• Nicotiana glutinosaL.
• Nicotiana langsdorffiiWeinm.^[7] – Langsdorff's tobacco
• Nicotiana longifloraCav.^[7] – longflower tobacco or long-flowered tobacco
• Nicotiana mutabilisStehmann & Semir^[1] – colour-changing tobacco plant, flowering tobacco plant
• Nicotiana occidentalisH.-M. Wheeler^[7] – native tobacco
• Nicotiana obtusifoliaM. Martens &Galeotti – desert tobacco,punche,"tabaquillo"^[7]
• Nicotiana otophoraGriseb.^[7]
• Nicotiana plumbaginifoliaViv. – Tex-Mex tobacco
• Nicotiana quadrivalvisPursh – Indian tobacco
• Nicotiana rusticaL. – Aztec tobacco, strong tobacco,mapacho^[7]
• Nicotiana suaveolensLehm. – Australian tobacco^[7]
• Nicotiana sylvestrisSpeg. & Comes – woodland tobacco, flowering tobacco, South American tobacco^[7]
• Nicotiana tabacumL. – common tobacco, domesticated tobacco, cultivated tobacco, commercial tobacco (grown for the production ofcigars,cigarillos,cigarettes,chewing tobacco,dipping tobacco,snuff,snus, etc.)^[7]
• Nicotiana tomentosiformisGoodsp.^[7]

• Nicotiana ×didepta –N. forsteri ×N. tabacum^[8]
• Nicotiana ×digluta –N. glutinosa ×N. tabacum^[9]
• Nicotiana ×sanderaeHort. ex Wats. –N. alata ×N. forgetiana^[8]

• Petunia axillaris(Lam.) Britton et al. (asN. axillarisLam.) – large white petunia, wild white petunia, white moon petunia^[10]

The genusNicotiana (from which the wordnicotine is derived) was named in honor ofJean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal, who in 1559 sent samples as a medicine to the court ofCatherine de' Medici.^[11]

Despite containing enoughnicotine and/or other compounds such asgermacrene andanabasine and otherpiperidine alkaloids (varying between species) todeter mostherbivores,^[12] a number of such animals haveevolved the ability to feed onNicotiana species without being harmed. Nonetheless, tobacco is unpalatable to many species and therefore some tobacco plants (mainly tree tobacco (N. glauca)) have become established asinvasive species in some places.^[13]

In the 19th century, young tobacco plantings came under increasing attack fromflea beetles (particularly the potato flea beetle (Epitrix cucumeris) and/orEpitrix pubescens), causing the destruction of half the United States tobacco crop in 1876. In the years afterward, many experiments were attempted and discussed to control the potato flea beetle. By 1880, it was discovered that covering young plants with a frame covered with thin fabric (instead of with branches, as had previously been used for frost control) would effectively protect the plants from the beetle. This practice spread until it became ubiquitous in the 1890s.^{[citation needed]}

Tobacco, alongside itsrelated products, can be infested byparasites such as the tobacco beetle (Lasioderma serricorne) and the tobacco moth (Ephestia elutella), which are the most widespread and damagingpests in thetobacco industry.^[14] Infestation can range from the tobacco cultivated in the fields to the leaves used for manufacturingcigars,cigarillos,cigarettes,chewing tobacco,dipping tobacco,snuff,snus, etc.^[14] Both thegrubs ofLasioderma serricorne and thecaterpillars ofEphestia elutella are considered major pests.^[14]

Othermoths whosecaterpillars feed onNicotiana include:

• Black cutworm, greasy cutworm, or floodplain cutworm (as a caterpillar), dark sword-grass or ipsilon dart (as a moth) (Agrotis ipsilon)
• Turnip moth (Agrotis segetum)
• Mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis)
• Clover cutworm (as a caterpillar),nutmeg (as a moth) (Hadula trifolii orAnarta trifolii)
• Endoclita excrescens
• Hawaiian tobacco hornworm or Hawaiian tomato hornworm (as a caterpillar), Blackburn's sphinx moth (as a moth) (Manduca blackburni)
• Tobacco hornworm or Goliath worm (as a caterpillar), tobacco hawkmoth or Carolina sphinx moth (as a moth) (Manduca sexta)
• Tomato hornworm (as a caterpillar), five-spotted hawkmoth (as a moth) (Manduca quinquemaculata)
• Cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae)
• Angle shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)
• Setaceous Hebrew character (Xestia c-nigrum)
• Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni)^[15]
• Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)
• Tobacco spitworm (as a caterpillar), potato tuber moth (as a moth) (Phthorimaea operculella)^[16]
• South American tomato pinworm, tomato pinworm or tomato leafminer (as a caterpillar), South American tomato moth (as a moth) (Tuta absoluta)^[16]
• Eggplant leafroller moth or nightshade leaftier (Lineodes integra)^[16]
• Eggplant webworm moth (Rhectocraspeda periusalis)^[16]

These are mainlyNoctuidae, but they also compriseSphingidae,Gelechiidae, andCrambidae.

Several species ofNicotiana, such asN. sylvestris,^[17]N. alata 'Lime Green'^[18][19] andN. langsdorffii are grown asornamental plants, often under the name of flowering tobacco.^[5][20] They are popularvespertines (evening bloomers); their sweet-smelling flowers opening in the evening to be visited byhawkmoths and otherpollinators. In temperate climates, they behave asannuals (hardiness 9a–11).^[21]Thehybridcultivar 'Lime Green'^[19] has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.^[22]

Garden varieties are derived fromN. alata (e.g., the 'Niki' and 'Saratoga' series) and more recently fromNicotiana ×sanderae (e.g., the 'Perfume' and 'Domino' series).^[20]

The tobacco budworm (Chloridea virescens) has proved to be a massive "pest" of many species in the genus, and has resisted many attempts at management.^[23]

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