Thai eggplant
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Thai eggplant ( Solanum virginianum ) |
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| Solanum virginianum | ||||||||||||
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The Thai aubergine ( Solanum virginianum L. , Syn . : Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & H.Wendl. , Solanum surattense Burm.f. , Solanum mairei H.Léveillé ) belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). It is also known as Kantakari and in Thai มะเขือ เปราะ (spoken: mákʰɯ̌ːa-prɔ̀ʡ ).
Systematics
Like, even eggplant called, cultivated eggplant ( Solanum melongena ), the Thai eggplant belongs to the subgenus Leptostemonum , Section Melongena within the genus Solanaceae family ( Solanum ). Solanum virginianum is a sympatric species of the wild form of Solanum melongena var. Insanum . In cross-breeding experiments, hybrids of both species produced partially fertile offspring.
description
The Thai eggplant is an annual , herbaceous plant , which is about eighty centimeters is high. The leaves are serrated; the stems and leaf veins have thorns. The Thai eggplant is widespread in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and is cultivated there as a vegetable. It prefers sandy, not too dry soils and therefore often grows along river banks in its home. The white bloom appears in more moderate latitudes from July, the yellow-green marbled fruits are formed and harvested from September when they are about the size of a golf ball . In its natural range, the plant blooms between November and May. It bears fruit there from June to September.
use
Outside of Asia, the Thai eggplant is relatively unknown as a vegetable. It is mainly used in Thai cuisine. Here it is a common ingredient in the preparation of “green curry” ( Kaeng Khiao Wan ) or “red curry” ( Kaeng Phet ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ L. Borgato, F. Pisani and A. Furini: Plant regeneration from leaf protoplasts of Solanum virginianum L. (Solanaceae). In: Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture , online publication, Springer Netherlands, January 2007.
Web links
- Molecular biological information of the NCBI (English) called 24 October 2008
- The species at Flora of China (English) accessed on October 24, 2008