Common or usual name: Tomato, Tomato, Tomato Scientific or Latin name: Lycopersicum esculentum = Solanum lycopersicum Family: Solanaceae (Solanaceae). Source: American Southwest. The tomato was introduced to Europe by Spanish colonists in the Americas. The tomato is an annual, but can sometimes last more than a year in the field. The stems are slightly angular, semi-ligneous, of medium thickness (close to 4 cm at the base) and with simple and glandular trichomes. Leaves medium to large (10 to 50 cm), alternate, stalked, bipinatisectas (with further divided leaflets) and numerous simple and glandular trichomes.