See text Nicotiana (/ˌnɪkoʊʃiˈeɪnə, nɪˌkoʊ-, -kɒti-, -ˈɑːnə, -ˈænə/[2][3][4]) is a genus of herbaceous plants and shrubs in the family Solanaceae, that is indigenous to the Americas, Australia, Southwestern Africa and the South Pacific.

The 79 accepted and known species include:[1][5][6] The genus Nicotiana (from which the word nicotine is derived) was named in honor of Jean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal, who in 1559 sent samples as a medicine to the court of Catherine de' Medici.

[14] Other moths whose caterpillars feed on Nicotiana include: These are mainly Noctuidae, but they also comprise Sphingidae, Gelechiidae, and Crambidae.

Several species of Nicotiana, such as N. sylvestris,[17] N. alata 'Lime Green'[18][19] and N. langsdorffii are grown as ornamental plants, often under the name of flowering tobacco.

[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.