Lycianthes is a genus of from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), found in both the Old World and the New World, but predominantly in the latter. It contains over 150 species, mostly from tropical America, with 35-40 species in Asia and the Pacific.
The genus Lycianthes is closely related to the genus Capsicum, the chili and bell peppers. However, it was long confused with the (genus Solanum), and several little-known Solanum species have now been reclassified to the genus Lycianthes.