Solanum aethiopicum

Ethiopian eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum )

The Ethiopian eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum ) is a plant of the genus Solanum (Solanum ) in the nightshade family (Solanaceae ). Their varieties are cultivated as fruit vegetables.

• 4.1 Notes and references
• 4.2 Literature

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The Ethiopian eggplant is an annual herbaceous plant that can reach heights of growth of up to 70 cm. She is hairy with pedicled or seated, five-to neunstrahligen, stellate trichomes. The stems are covered with 2-5 mm long, broad at the base 1-2 mm, straight or slightly curved spines.

The upper leaves are often formed in unequal pairs. The petiole is 2-7 cm long. The leaf blade is ovate to oblong - ovate, reaching a length of 10 to 20 cm, and a width of 6 cm to 14 cm. The leaf blade is divided irregularly wavy, the tip may be pointed or blunt. The bottom is filled with simple and stellate trichomes along the leaf veins, the coat is finely tomentose and consists only of stellate trichomes, often there are also pfriemförmige spines with a length of 3 to 7 mm.

Inflorescences and flowers

By Konkauleszenz the inflorescences stand outside the leaf axils. They are constructed grapey, comprise only a few flowers, and are at a 1 to 1.5 cm long peduncle. The flower stem is open 5 to 12 cm long and 0.2 to 2 mm long spines.

The flowers are usually fünfzählig, can be six to neunzählig on cultivated plants. The calyx is bell-shaped, 5-7 mm long and occupies 3 to 4 mm wide and with slightly irregular, ovate to ovate - lanceolate lobes. The crown is white or light colored purple, star-shaped or star-shaped - wheel-shaped. It reaches a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 cm, the coronet is about 6.5 mm wide.

The stamens consist of 0.5 to 1 mm long, glabrous stamens and lanceolate - elliptic, 4-5 mm long and 0.7 to 1 mm wide, anthers, which are bulged at the base and tip. The ovary is four to achtkammerig and carries a 5.7 to 7.5 mm long stylus.

Fruit and seeds

The fruits are orange to red colored berries with a diameter of 1.5 to 3 cm, often they are up to 5 cm in size. Often they are four to six times furrowed longitudinally. They contain reniform seeds having a diameter of 2 to 3.5 mm.

Use

The ripe fruit of the Ethiopian eggplant be eaten raw or cooked, they are considered as a remedy for colic and flatulence. The leaves are used as food, before eating, they are usually cooked. Studies have shown that the leaves have a slight anticonvulsant effect.

Varieties

• ' Small Ruffled Red'
• 'Sweet Red'
• ' Turkish Orange'
• ' Rouge de Turquie ' with orange fruits that can be prepared already in the immature green state, however, and have a strong taste.

Swell