Tomato (scientific name: Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ) is an annual or perennial herb of Solanaceae, with a body height of 0.6 to 2 meters, covered with glandular hairs, strong smell, easy lodging, pinnately compound leaves or pinnately parted leaves.

Peduncle 2-5 cm long, usually with 3-7 flowers, calyx radial, corolla radial, berries oblate or nearly spherical, juicy, yellow seeds, flowering and fruiting in summer and autumn.

Tomatoes are native to South America and are widely cultivated in the north and south of China. Tomato fruit is rich in nutrition and unique in flavor. Can be eaten raw, cooked, processed tomato sauce, juice or whole fruit.

Botanical history:

The origin of tomatoes is the Andes in South America. There are still large areas of wild species in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Tomatoes are divided into color tomato subspecies and green tomato subspecies. The former has many colors when the fruit is ripe, while the latter is green when the fruit is ripe.

Tomatoes are composed of common cultivated tomatoes and several species closely related to cultivated tomatoes, which are generally divided into two complex groups: common tomatoes and Peruvian tomatoes. Common tomatoes include: common tomatoes, thin-leaf tomatoes, Chismani tomatoes, small-flowered tomatoes, Liu Mei Keys tomatoes and fur-colored tomatoes; Tomatoes in Peru include Chilean tomatoes and Peruvian tomatoes.

At present, the ancestor of tomato cultivation is cherry tomatoes. Mexico domesticated and cultivated earlier. In 1523, tomatoes spread from Mexico to Spain and Portugal, to Italy around 1550, and to Britain and Central European countries in 1575. At that time, tomatoes were used as ornamental plants.

Edible cultivation began in the middle of18th century. 1768, Miller first described, classified and named botany. It was introduced to the Philippines in the17th century, and then spread to other Asian countries.

Morphological characteristics:

The tomato is millet, and its plant height is 0.6-2 meters. All tomatoes are covered with mucus glands and have a strong smell. The stem lodging easily. The leaves are pinnately compound or pinnately parted, with a length of 10-40 cm. Leaflets are extremely irregular and vary in size, generally 5-9, oval or oblong, 5-7 cm long, with irregular serrations or lobes at the edges. Peduncle 2-5 cm long, usually with 3-7 flowers;

Pedicel length1-1.5cm; Calyx radial, lobes lanceolate, persistent when fruit; Corolla radial, about 2 cm in diameter, yellow. Berries are oblate or nearly spherical, juicy, orange or bright red and smooth; The seeds are yellow.