Characteristics
Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
History
Economic value
Appearance
The eggplant is a delicate, tropical perennial growing to 40 to 150 cm tall, with large, coarsely lobed leaves often with a spiny stem and white to purple flowers with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens.
Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants develop fruit that hangs from the branches of a plant that grows several feet in height.
The fruit is classified as a berry and contains numerous small, soft seeds which, though edible, taste bitter because they are a relative of the tobacco plant.
The egg-shaped glossy purple fruit has white flesh with a meaty texture. The cut surface of the flesh rapidly turns brown when the fruit is cut open.
Given their tropical and subtropical heritage, eggplants require relatively high temperatures, similar to tomatoes and peppers and grow fastest when temperatures are between 70 and 85°F (21 and 30°C)—and very slowly during cooler weather.