Easter eggplant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Easter eggplant |
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Solanum
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S. ovigerum
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| Solanum ovigerum Dunal
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The Easter eggplant is a cool plant that belongs to the nightshade family. This family includes many well-known plants like tomatoes, potatoes, and even regular eggplants! The Easter eggplant is a close relative of the common aubergine (which is also known as Solanum melongena).
This plant has green stems and leafstalks, which might have a tiny hint of purple. It also has a few small white spines, so be careful! Its leaves have wavy edges, making them look interesting. The flowers are a pretty lilac color. What makes the Easter eggplant special is its oblong (oval-shaped) fruit. People often grow it not just for its fruit, but also as an ornamental plant. This means it's grown for its beauty, often used to cover walls or trellises in gardens.
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What Makes Easter Eggplant Special?
The Easter eggplant, or Solanum ovigerum, stands out because of its unique fruit shape. Unlike the more common pear-shaped or long eggplants you might see in a grocery store, the Easter eggplant produces fruit that is more oblong. This distinctive shape is one of the main ways to recognize it.
A Member of the Nightshade Family
The nightshade family, or Solanaceae, is a large group of plants. It includes many plants we eat every day, like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and of course, eggplants. While some plants in this family can be poisonous, many are safe and important food sources. The Easter eggplant is part of this diverse and interesting plant family.
Growing Easter Eggplant for Beauty
Beyond its fruit, the Easter eggplant is also valued for its looks. It's often grown as an ornamental plant. This means people plant it to make their gardens or homes look nicer. Its climbing habit makes it perfect for growing along walls, fences, or trellises. This way, its pretty lilac flowers and unique fruits can be easily seen and admired.
Images for kids
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Closeup of flower
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A developing fruit
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Long purple eggplants
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Varieties of Solanum melongena from the Japanese Seikei Zusetsu agricultural encyclopedia
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White eggplant compared to two chicken eggs
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Illustration of an eggplant (upper picture) in a 1717 manuscript of a work by the thirteenth-century Persian Zakariya al-Qazwini.
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Illustrations of an eggplant from a possibly fifteenth-century French manuscript of a work by Matthaeus Platearius. The word melonge, below the illustration, has a blue initial M-.
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Three cultivars of eggplant, showing size, shape, and color differences
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Segmented purple eggplant
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Chinese yúxiāng-qiézi (fish-fragrance eggplants)
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Philippine tortang talong, an eggplant omelette made from grilled skinned eggplants
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Philippine ensaladang talong, a salad on grilled and skinned green eggplant
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Philippine rellenong talong, a variant of tortang talong stuffed with ground meat and various vegetables
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Brinjal masala fry
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Brinjal and mango sambar
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Almagro eggplant
See also
In Spanish: Solanum melongena para niños
