h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is not part of the same family as potatoes. Deadly nightshade is Atropa bella-donna, Woody nightshade is solanum dulcamara.

I think Nigel is right. He writes very good articals and has all the facts. Well done nigel yet again.

I am sorry Venus but the RHS website confirms what Nigel says on at least two occasions, as do others.

Websailor

Venus, taken from the RHS Website:

'The potato is a member of the deadly nightshade family and as such can produce a poison called solanine'.

I am glad that you read my articles and some of the comments you have put up in the past are helpful. Like I have said before, everything is double checked and thoroughly researched before my article is sent off.

However, why is it that you never put any nice comments up about my articles, just those which are critical, making me look like I am wrong which encourages people to stop believing in my useful advice? I have friends who look at these, not to mention members of my family.

I would appreciate it if you email me any criticisms in the future, rather than on here.

The last couple of months I have had problems with my h2g2 account and after a lot of advice from the beeb, which I am grateful for, I had to open up a new account. This caused a lot of stress and I thought twice whether it was worth it all. However, I thought that my readers would miss me and so I knew the hard work of sorting out the accounts was worth it.

After reading negative comments from yourself, I am thinking whether it was worth it.

It is time I went. I cannot cope with this.

Nigel.

Nigel, of course it is worth it. There will always be disagreements between gardeners and horticulturalists, but this is one occasion when Venus is wrong and both websites and books confirm it.

Please don't take it to heart. I am sure it was well meant

Websailor

I'm sorry you think i'm being negative, thats not my intention.
However, 'Deadly nightshade' is'nt the same as 'Woody nightshade', which is a solanum, deadly nightshade is bella-donna and not a solanum. The emphasis is on the 'deadly' and 'woody' I will stick my neck out on this one as i know i am right. Wild flowers and plants are a speciality of mine, i've been studying them for a very long time now.
Potatoes and woody night shade ARE the same family, but not bella-donna, which is deadly nightshade.

I enjoy reading your articles and i think they are a worthwhile contribution

I stand corrected, deadly nightshade - bella donna is in the solanacea family, however it is woody nightshade that is the close relative of the potato
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=woody+nightshade&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=GZ5qSoquLJ_MjAeS37SvCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1

http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/atropa_belladonna_deadly_nightshade.htm

I should think people would consider giving it all up as it is only voluntary and it all takes time and then people try to find evey little fault. A lot of us look foward to reading your entries so take no notice of the minority. Well done.

If I recall the core idea of this site correctly, one of the primary goals is accuracy of facts. Besides a great many lighter sides to the place. As I have seen them, the posts by Venus are made to clarify discrepancies or inaccuracies.

The comment about deadly nightshades seems to suggest that they are a close relative of potatoes, and not to be concerned about. Earlier, Nigel mentions that there are indeed about 2,500 members of the same family. By linking these two members as seemingly close relatives just might give a casual reader the notion that belladonna is not something to be very wary of. A mistaken notion that could prove very harmful to someone.

As she has mentioned, Venus is very conversant with plant-life. And seems to look forward to reading and learning from every source, including Nigel's entries. If she has found reason to only comment a few times after so many of his entries, I would suggest that this also speaks volumes about the quality of his content. As a professional of a totally unrelated field, if someone is able to show me where I have gone very wrong, I appreciate the help. It makes me more effective in what I do. I can only hope that Nigel will give a re-think, and realize that minor corrections are not an assault on his knowledge or abilities, but offered as positive criticism and assistance.

Thankyou for trying to clarify thinks revisited50, but it was me that was in the wrong.
For some reason i was thinking 'genus', but Nigel was talking 'family' and it was'nt untill i slept on it i realised my mistake.
I'm now going to crawl back into my shell

Thank you all for your comments on this subject.

Me and Venus have been in contact via email and have sorted the horticultural crisis .

Very glad to hear it

Websailor