Solandra is a genus of flowering vines in the nightshade family Solanaceae, placed in the order Solanales. The genus comprises around ten species of robust, woody climbers native to the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. Members of the genus are commonly called chalice vines or Cup of Gold, names that reflect their most striking feature: exceptionally large, funnel-shaped or chalice-like flowers, typically yellow to golden in colour, often with purple-streaked throats. The plants also bear glossy, leathery foliage.
Several species — most notably Solandra maxima and Solandra grandiflora — are cultivated as ornamental plants in tropical and subtropical gardens worldwide for their dramatic blooms. Beyond horticulture, the genus has cultural and ethnobotanical significance: Solandra grandiflora has been used by the Huichol people of Mexico and neighbouring indigenous groups as a hallucinogenic plant, known by the name kieli or kieri. Archaeological evidence suggests its ritual use may predate that of peyote (Lophophora williamsii). A tea prepared from the branches, roots, and fruits has historically served as an inebriant in native traditions. The leaves contain tropane alkaloids including atropine, noratropine, hyoscyamine, and tropine at approximately 0.15% total alkaloid content.
The genus was named in honour of the Swedish naturalist Daniel C. Solander, a student of Carl Linnaeus who sailed with Captain James Cook on his first voyage.
Etymology
The genus Solandra is named after Daniel C. Solander (1733–1782), a Swedish naturalist and botanist who was a student of Carl Linnaeus. Solander sailed with Captain James Cook on the HMS Endeavour during Cook's first voyage of scientific exploration.
Distribution
Species of Solandra are native to the Caribbean islands, Mexico, and South America, where they grow as woody climbing vines in tropical and subtropical environments. The genus reaches its greatest diversity in Mexico and Central America, with individual species occurring south into Bolivia and Brazil.
Cultivation
Several Solandra species, particularly Solandra maxima (Cup of Gold vine), are grown as ornamental climbers in tropical and subtropical gardens. They thrive in full sun with well-drained soil and require a sturdy support structure for their vigorous, woody growth. In frost-prone climates they are grown under glass. Pruning after flowering encourages bushy growth and repeat blooming. All parts of the plant should be handled with care due to their alkaloid content.
Cultural Uses
Solandra grandiflora has long been used by the Huichol people of Mexico and other indigenous groups of the region as a hallucinogenic plant, referred to as kieli or kieri. Archaeological evidence suggests this ritual use predates the better-known use of peyote (Lophophora williamsii). A tea brewed from the branches, roots, and fruits acts as an inebriant. The psychoactive and toxic properties are attributable to tropane alkaloids — primarily atropine, noratropine, hyoscyamine, and tropine — found throughout the plant's tissues.
