Aubergine
Solanum melongena
Synonyms: Solanum esculentum, Solanum violaceum, Solanum oviferum, Solanum album, Solanum trongum var. rumphii, Solanum plumieri, Solanum ovigerum var. violaceum, Solanum melongena var. serpentinum, Solanum edule var. multifidum, Solanum melongena var. ovigera, Solanum ovigerum subsp. sinuatorepandum, Solanum ovigerum subsp. subrepandum, Solanum ovigerum var. ruber, Solanum melongena var. violaceum, Solanum melongena var. variegatum, Solanum pseudoundatum var. leucocarpon, Solanum ovigerum var. ovum-album, Melongena teres, Solanum sativum var. atropurpurascens, Solanum ovigerum var. insanum, Melongena ovata, Solanum melongenum, Melongena esculenta, Solanum pseudoundatum var. albiflorum, Solanum pseudoundatum var. atropurpurascens, Solanum trilobatum, Solanum pressum, Solanum melongena subsp. agreste, Solanum album var. richardii, Solanum melongena var. racemosum, Solanum sativum var. albiflorum, Solanum melongena var. angustum, Solanum ovigerum, Solanum trongum, Solanum ovigerum var. album, Solanum requienii, Solanum ovigerum var. oblongocylindricum, Solanum melongena var. viride, Solanum melongena var. giganteum, Solanum melongena var. leucoum, Solanum melongena var. stenoleucum, Solanum ovigerum var. ovum-rubens, Melongena spinosa, Melongena incurva, Solanum pseudoundatum, Solanum album var. rumphii, Solanum serpentinum, Solanum ovigerum var. luteum, Solanum esculentum var. subinerme, Solanum ovigerum var. ovum-luteum, Solanum sativum, Solanum sativum var. leucocarpon, Solanum edule, Solanum zeylanicum, Solanum tomentosum, Solanum melongena var. cylindricum, Solanum melongena var. racemiflorum, Solanum trongum var. divaricatum, Solanum lagenarium, Solanum aethiopicum var. violaceum, Solanum melongena var. globosi, Solanum esculentum var. aculeatum, Solanum melongena var. esculentum
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Botanical Description
Solanum melongena, the eggplant, aubergine or brinjal, is an erect, branching, herbaceous to slightly woody annual or short-lived perennial in the family Solanaceae, typically grown as an annual crop and reaching 40 to 150 centimetres in height. Stems and the undersides of leaves are clothed in stellate hairs and often armed with short prickles. Leaves are alternate, large, ovate, with lobed or sinuate margins, grey-green above and paler beneath. The drooping, solitary or few-flowered cymes bear violet, star-shaped flowers about 3 to 5 centimetres across with a bright yellow central cone of anthers. The fruit is a large, pendulous, fleshy berry varying enormously in cultivated forms, from small ovoid to elongated cylindrical or pear-shaped, and from white, green, striped, yellow through to the familiar glossy deep purple, with a persistent green calyx. Domesticated in South and East Asia, it is now cultivated throughout tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate regions worldwide as an important food crop.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
None Documented
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.