0_Wizard
I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes, aka "Solanum lycopersicum"
The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, fruit of the plant "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant.
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Tomato
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Tomato
The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, fruit of the plant "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The plant belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae". The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru and Ecuador. The Spanish discovered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec peoples during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, then brought it to Europe, and, from there, to other parts of the European colonized world during the 16th century.
Solanaceae
The Solanaceae, or nightshades, are an economically important family of flowering plants. The family ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of important agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell/chili peppers, and tobacco are widely used. The family belongs to the order Solanales, in the asterid group and class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology.
Neoleucinodes elegantalis
Neoleucinodes elegantalis is a moth of the Crambidae family. It ìs found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. There are multiple generations per year. Eggs are laid either singly or in clusters on the petiole or sepals of flowers and the calyx of fruit. The larvae feed by burrowing into the fruit of "Solanum" species, including "Solanum lycopersicum", "Solanum melongena", "Solanum aethiopicum", "Solanum betaceum", "Solanum quitoense", "Solanum sessiliflorum", "Solanum acerifolium", "Solanum atropurpureum", "Solanum crinitum", "Solanum torvum", "Solanum hirtum", "Solanum lycocarpum", "Solanum pseudolulo", "Solanum viarum" and "Solanum sisymbriifolium", as well as "Capsicum annuum".
Colorado potato beetle
The Colorado potato beetle ("Leptinotarsa decemlineata"), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is approximately long, with a bright yellow/orange body and five bold brown stripes along the length of each of its elytra. Native to America, it spread rapidly in potato crops across America and then Europe from 1859 onwards. The Colorado potato beetle was first observed in 1811 by Thomas Nuttall and was formally described in 1824 by the American entomologist Thomas Say. The beetles were collected in the Rocky Mountains where they were feeding on the buffalo bur, "Solanum rostratum".
Solanine
Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade family within the genus "Solanum", such as the potato ("Solanum tuberosum"), the tomato ("Solanum lycopersicum"), and the eggplant ("Solanum melongena"). It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including the leaves, fruit, and tubers. Solanine has pesticidal properties, and it is one of the plant's natural defenses. Solanine was first isolated in 1820 from the berries of the European black nightshade ("Solanum nigrum"), after which it was named. It belongs to the chemical family of saponins. Solanine poisoning is primarily displayed by gastrointestinal and neurological disorders.
Solanum pimpinellifolium
Solanum pimpinellifolium, commonly known as the currant tomato, is a wild species of tomato native to Ecuador and Peru but naturalized elsewhere, such as the Galápagos Islands. Its small fruits are edible, and it is commonly grown in gardens as an heirloom tomato, although it is considered to be wild rather than domesticated as is the commonly cultivated tomato species "Solanum lycopersicum". Its genome was recently sequenced. It will hybridize with common domestic tomatoes. There are annual, biennial, and perennial varieties. "Solanum pimpinellifolium" is important in tomato breeding. Its relatedness to tomatoes and ability to freely cross with them has allowed it to be used for the introduction of disease resistance traits in tomato varieties, as well as in the study of the genetic control of tomato traits such as fruit shape and size.
Leucinodes cordalis
Leucinodes cordalis, the poroporo fruit borer or eggfruit caterpillar, is a species of moth in the Crambidae family. It is found in New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia (Sulawesi). In Australia, it has been reported from Norfolk Island, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. The length of the forewings is 13.5–15 mm. The forewings are off white with brown tips, as well as a pattern of pale brown blotches. There are two generations per year in New Zealand. In Australia, there may be more generations. The larvae feed on "Solanum melongena", "Solanum muricatum", "Solanum aviculare", "Solanum lycopersicum", "Solanum esuriale", "Solanum americanum", "Solanum tuberosum", "Capsicum annuum", "Datura wrightii" and "Datura stramonium".
1_Apprentice
I love tomatoes as well!  I have no idea what "Solanum lycopersicum" is though.  Is that a different language?
0_Wizard
It's the latin name of the tomato plant, which belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae"
The plant belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae".
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Tomato
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Tomato
The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, fruit of the plant "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The plant belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae". The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru and Ecuador. The Spanish discovered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec peoples during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, then brought it to Europe, and, from there, to other parts of the European colonized world during the 16th century.
Solanaceae
The Solanaceae, or nightshades, are an economically important family of flowering plants. The family ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of important agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell/chili peppers, and tobacco are widely used. The family belongs to the order Solanales, in the asterid group and class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology.
Systemin
Systemin is a plant peptide hormone involved in the wound response in the Solanaceae family. It was the first plant hormone that was proven to be a peptide having been isolated from tomato leaves in 1991 by a group led by Clarence A. Ryan. Since then other peptides, with similar functions have been identified in tomato and outside of the Solanaceae. Hydroxyproline-rich glycopeptides were found in tobacco in 2001 and AtPEPs (Arabidopsis thaliana Plant Elicitor Peptides) were found in "Arabidopsis thaliana" in 2006. Their precursors are found both in the cytoplasm and cell walls of plant cells, upon insect damage, the precursors are processed to produce one or more mature peptides.
Atropa belladonna
Atropa belladonna, commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and aubergine. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. Its distribution extends from Great Britain in the west to western Ukraine and the Iranian province of Gilan in the east. It is also naturalised and/or introduced in some parts of Canada and the United States. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic when ingested, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins include atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which cause delirium and hallucinations, and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics.
Tamarillo
The tamarillo is a small tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshade family). It is best known as the species that bears the tamarillo, an egg-shaped edible fruit. It is also known as the tree tomato, tomate andino, tomate serrano, tomate de yuca, sachatomate, berenjena, tamamoro, and tomate de árbol in South America. The tamarillo is native to the Andes of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. Today it is still cultivated in gardens and small orchards for local production, and it is one of the most popular fruits in these regions. Other regions of cultivation are the subtropical areas throughout the world, such as Rwanda, South Africa, Darjeeling and Sikkim in India, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, the United States, Australia, Bhutan and New Zealand.
Pomato
The pomato (or tomtato, ketchup and chips) is a botanical chimera that is produced by grafting together a tomato plant and a potato plant, both of which are members of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. Cherry tomatoes grow on the vine, while white potatoes grow in the soil from the same plant. The concept of grafting related potatoes and tomatoes so that both are produced on the same plant was originally developed in 1977 at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany, and although healthy, the plant produced neither potatoes nor tomatoes. The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne produced a plant with fruit in 1994.
Tomatillo
The tomatillo ("Physalis philadelphica" and "Physalis ixocarpa"), also known as the Mexican husk tomato, is a plant of the nightshade family bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos originated in Mexico and were cultivated in the pre-Columbian era. A staple of Mexican cuisine, they are eaten raw or cooked in a variety of dishes, particularly salsa verde. The wild tomatillo and related plants are found everywhere in the Americas except in the far north, with the highest diversity in Mexico. In 2017, scientists reported on their discovery and analysis of a fossil tomatillo found in the Patagonian region of Argentina, dated to 52 million years B.P.
1_Apprentice
Interesting!  What other plants are related to the tomatoe?
0_Wizard
I am not sure, but maybe it's related to some plants in western South America, where the species originated
The species originated in western South America.
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Tomato
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Tomato
The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, fruit of the plant "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The plant belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae". The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru and Ecuador. The Spanish discovered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec peoples during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, then brought it to Europe, and, from there, to other parts of the European colonized world during the 16th century.
Evidence of common descent
Evidence of common descent of living organisms has been discovered by scientists researching in a variety of disciplines over many decades, demonstrating that all life on Earth comes from a single ancestor. This forms an important part of the evidence on which evolutionary theory rests, demonstrates that evolution does occur, and illustrates the processes that created Earth's biodiversity. It supports the modern evolutionary synthesis—the current scientific theory that explains how and why life changes over time. Evolutionary biologists document evidence of common descent, all the way back to the last universal common ancestor, by developing testable predictions, testing hypotheses, and constructing theories that illustrate and describe its causes.
Development of Darwin's theory
Following the inception of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection in 1838, the development of Darwin's theory to explain the "mystery of mysteries" of how new species originated was his "prime hobby" in the background to his main occupation of publishing the scientific results of the "Beagle" voyage. He was settling into married life, but suffered from bouts of illness and after his first child was born the family moved to rural Down House as a family home away from the pressures of London. The publication in 1839 of his "Journal and Remarks" (now known as "The Voyage of the Beagle") brought him success as an author, and in 1842 he published his first major scientific book, "The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs", setting out his theory of the formation of coral atolls.
Geography of South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the north-central United States. It is usually considered to be in the Midwestern region of the country. The state can generally be divided into three geographic regions: eastern South Dakota, western South Dakota, and the Black Hills. Eastern South Dakota is lower in elevation and higher in precipitation than the western part of the state, and the Black Hills are a low, isolated mountain group in the southwestern corner of the state. Smaller sub-regions in the state include the Coteau des Prairies, Coteau du Missouri, James River Valley, the Dissected Till Plains, and the Badlands.
South America
South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere, mostly in the southern hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere. It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas, which is how it is viewed in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas. The reference to South America instead of other regions (like Latin America or the Southern Cone) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics (in particular, the rise of Brazil). It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest.
Cucurbita
Cucurbita (Latin for gourd) is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, also known as cucurbits, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance, and for their seeds. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus "Lagenaria", which is in the same family and subfamily as "Cucurbita" but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of Cucurbita species.
Latin America
Latin America is a group of countries and dependencies in the Americas where Spanish, French and Portuguese are predominant. The term originated in 19th century France as "Amérique latine" to consider French-speaking territories in the Americas (Haiti, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy) along with the larger group of countries where Spanish and Portuguese languages prevailed. It is therefore broader than the terms Ibero-America or Hispanic America—though it usually excludes French Canada and modern French Louisiana. Latin America consists of nineteen sovereign states and several territories and dependencies which cover an area that stretches from the northern border of Mexico to the southern tip of South America, including the Caribbean.
1_Apprentice
I didn't know that either!   I would have thought the tomato came from Italy!  When did the tomato make its appearance in Europe or overseas?
0_Wizard
The Spanish brought it to Europe in the 16th century after discovering it from their contact with the Aztec peoples
The Spanish discovered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec peoples during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, then brought it to Europe, and, from there, to other parts of the European colonized world during the 16th century.
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Tomato
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History of Mexico
The history of Mexico, a country in the southern portion of North America, covers a period of more than three millennia. First populated more than 13,000 years ago, the territory had complex indigenous civilizations before being conquered and colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century. One of the important aspects of Mesoamerican civilizations was their development of a form of writing, so that Mexico's written history stretches back hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519. This era before the arrival of Europeans is called variously the prehispanic era or the precolumbian era.
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, or the Age of Exploration (approximately from the beginning of the 15th century until the end of the 18th century) is an informal and loosely defined term for the period in European history in which extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in European culture and was the beginning of globalization. It also marks the rise of the period of widespread adoption in Europe of colonialism and mercantilism as national policies. Many lands previously unknown to Europeans were discovered by them during this period, though most were already inhabited. From the perspective of many non-Europeans, the Age of Discovery marked the arrival of invaders from previously unknown continents.
Mexico
Mexico (; ; , ), officially the United Mexican States (, ), is a federal republic in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometers (over 760,000 sq mi), the nation is the sixth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 120 million, the country is the eleventh most populous and the most populous Spanish-speaking state in the world while being the second most populous nation in Latin America.
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is Xalapa-Enríquez. Veracruz is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo to the west, Puebla to the southwest, Oaxaca and Chiapas to the south, and Tabasco to the southeast. On its east, Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.
Conquistador
Conquistadors (from Portuguese or Spanish "conquistadores" "conquerors"; , , ) is a term used to refer to the soldiers and explorers of the Spanish Empire or the Portuguese Empire in a general sense. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, Oceania, Africa and Asia, conquering territory and opening trade routes. They colonized much of the world for Spain and Portugal in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Portugal established a route to China in the early 16th century, sending ships via the southern coast of Africa and founding numerous coastal enclaves along the route.
Aztec
Aztec culture (), also known as Mexica culture, was a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521, during the time in which a triple alliance of the Mexica, Texcoca and Tepaneca tribes established the Aztec empire. The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to the 16th centuries. The Aztec have also referred to themselves as the Meshika or Mehika. Aztec culture is the culture of the people referred to as Aztecs, but since most ethnic groups of central Mexico in the postclassic period shared basic cultural traits, many of the traits that characterize Aztec culture cannot be said to be exclusive to the Aztecs.
Spanish conquest of the Maya
The Spanish conquest of the Maya was a protracted conflict during the Spanish colonisation of the Americas, in which the Spanish "conquistadores" and their allies gradually incorporated the territory of the Late Postclassic Maya states and polities into the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Maya occupied a territory that is now incorporated into the modern countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador; the conquest began in the early 16th century and is generally considered to have ended in 1697. The conquest of the Maya was hindered by their politically fragmented state.
1_Apprentice
That is crazy to think that it didn't exist in Europe until then but is now a feature in so many different recipes and dishes. Aren't tomatoes really healthy for you? 
0_Wizard
They are indeed healthy, and are consumed in diverse ways. Many dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks include tomato as an ingredient
Tomato is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as an ingredient in many dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks.
chosen_Tomato_0
Tomato
chosen_topic_0_Tomato
Tomato
The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, fruit of the plant "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The plant belongs to the nightshade family, "Solanaceae". The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word tomato derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Peru and Ecuador. The Spanish discovered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec peoples during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, then brought it to Europe, and, from there, to other parts of the European colonized world during the 16th century.
Cuisine of the United States
The cuisine of the United States reflects its history. The European colonization of the Americas yielded the introduction of a number of ingredients and cooking styles to the latter. The various styles continued expanding well into the 19th and 20th centuries, proportional to the influx of immigrants from many different nations; such influx developed a rich diversity in food preparation throughout the country. Early Native Americans utilized a number of cooking methods in early American Cuisine that have been blended with early European cooking methods to form the basis of American Cuisine. When the colonists came to the colonies, they farmed animals for clothing and meat in a similar fashion to what they had done in Europe.
Filipino cuisine
Filipino cuisine (Filipino: "Lutuing Filipino" or "Pagkaing Filipino") is composed of the cuisines of 135 distinct ethno-linguistic tribes found within the Philippine archipelago, however, majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Filipino cuisine are from the cuisines of the Bikol, Chabakano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Kapampangan, Meranaw, Pangasinan, Sebwano (or Bisaya), Tagalog, and Waray ethno-linguistic tribes. The style of cooking and the food associated with it have evolved over many centuries from their Austronesian origins (shared with Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines) to a mixed cuisine of Indian, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago, as well as others adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.
Israeli cuisine
The Israeli cuisine ( "ha-mitbach ha-yisra’eli") comprises local dishes by people native to Israel and dishes brought to Israel by Jews from the Diaspora. Since before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, an Israeli Jewish fusion cuisine has developed. Israeli cuisine has adopted, and continues to adapt, elements of various styles of Jewish cuisine, particularly the Mizrahi, Sephardic and Ashkenazi styles of cooking. It incorporates many foods traditionally eaten in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, and foods such as falafel, hummus, msabbha, shakshouka, couscous, and za'atar are now widely popular in Israel.
Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavour. It is eclectic and diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,508 in the world's largest archipelago, with more than 300 ethnic groups calling Indonesia home. Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon indigenous culture and foreign influences. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most important. Indonesia's cuisine may include rice, noodle and soup dishes in modest local eateries to street-side snacks and top-dollar plates.
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine comprises a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religion, in particular Hindu, and cultural choices and traditions. Also, Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences have occurred on North Indian cuisine from the years of Mughal rule. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation's cultural interactions with other societies.
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine is food typical from Italy. It has developed through centuries of social and economic changes, with roots stretching to antiquity. Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, maize and sugar beet, this last introduced in quantity in the 18th century. Italian cuisine is known for its regional diversity, especially between the north and the south of the Italian peninsula. It offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied in the world. It influenced several cuisines around the world chiefly that of the United States.
1_Apprentice
I pretty much love anything with tomato in it!  How many different varieties of tomato are there?