Table

Know your eggplants- Part 2

Appendixes

Bilingual lexiques

African - English

Chinese - English
Japanese - English
Malay - English
Thai - English
Vietnamese - English

Cultivar descriptions and seed sources tables

African eggplants
Asian eggplants

European eggplants

Asian species, types and cultivars

Reproduced from flickr with permission from the copyright owner: Dorami Chan

Most basic sizes in Asian eggplants
(small long, egg-shaped, small round and pea-size)

Asian eggplants have representatives in these better known species: Solanum melongena L. , Solanum torvum Sw. , Solanum ferox L. Other mostly wild species are used both as sources of food and medicinal plants.

Solanum melongena L.

There is an abundance of cultivars of all sizes, shapes and colours among the Asian eggplants, far greater than among Western types. The queen of the Asian is Ping Tung by all accounts. The most productive and the most spectacular fruit. The demoiselles d' honneur would have to be Asian Bride and Thai Long Green, for the beauty of their fruit and in the case of Thai Long Green the health of its plant. Here are a few examples to make your salivate:

The cream of the long type


'Fengyuan Purple' (China) Photo credits Tomato Growers Supply Co	'Ping Tung Long' (China) Photo credits Southern Exposure Seed Exchange	'Ping Tung Long' (China) Photo credits Tomato Growers Supply Co

'Machiaw' (China) Photo credits Tomato Growers Supply Co	'Thai Long Green' (Thailand) Photo credits Long Island Seed Project	Photo credits USDA-ARS GRIN No name (Thailand) Identified as GRIF 1467 (accession number)

'Asian Bride' (China) Photo credits Tomato Growers Supply Co	'Long Purple' Photo credits Tomato Growers Supply Co	'Asian Bride' (China) Photo credits Known-You Seeds - Taiwan

The egg-shaped types

Reproduced from Flick with permission from copyright owner Bazu

Sizing up the type. This is the larger egg. The European shot below with a Euro coin shows the smallest egg.

A kaleidoscope of colourful egg-shaped Asian eggplants

Reproduced with permission from the copyright owner: Kok Robin

Indian eggplant
Ingredient of the typical Indian dish धूम्रपान बैंगन करी Baingan ka bharta.

This is a more realistic look of the fruit. Understandably catalogues tend to display beautiful glossy photos of their cultivars.

Reproduced from flickr with permission from the copyright owner: Garandee

'Green Doll' an elongated form of the typical cherry-sized Thai green eggplant.
Similar looking Indian cultivars are 'Harihar' (a little larger) and 'Tarini' (much larger) among others.

Reproduced from flickr with permission from the copyright owner: Ross Gonda

An elongated form of the typical cherry-sized Thai green eggplant.Likely to be the cultivar 'Orissa' becoming all yellow at maturity.

This fruit in isolation and without any reference to size, like 'Striped Toga', could easily be confused with a smooth Jilo.

Reproduced from flickr with permission from the copyright owner: Kok Robin

'Thai Yellow Egg' aka 'Thai Round Yellow' aka 'Golden Egg'

This eggplant is actually white at the edible stage. On the left it is shown at a more advanced stage with seeds almost ripe. On the right the seeds look younger. These types of eggplants are rarely seedless. In the middle is a nice combination of various types ready for a curry. According to Cross Country Nurseries there is also a cultivar called 'Thai White Egg' which is pinkish at maturity. There is a photo and description of it on their site.

Young seedless and mature 'Thai White Egg'

The cream of the small round type

A kaleidoscope of Lao & Thai round eggplants

Solanum torvum Sw.

Curiously this Central / South American species, common garden plant in the Caribbean, is better known in Asia, and here in Australia is always referred to as an Asian vegetable or "Thai pea eggplant". This is due to the efforts of the Thai horticultural community which has developed and promoted locally as well as abroad some improved cultivars. Elsewhere it tends to be considered as a weed even as a noxious weed due to its ability to self seed. In marketing terms, in some parts of Africa it is becoming a rival to the Uganda pea eggplant. Health authorities warned that if it became too popular and were eaten in large quantities it could lead to health problems. That could probably be said of most wild, semi-wild and even some domesticated varieties of Solanum, including the humble potato, given specific circumstances such as a greening of the tubers. The main offender being the poisonous solanine content of these plants. Certainly livestock have been poisoned by eating some of these plants.

Generally speaking, clusters of immature green fruits rather than individual fruits are picked when they reach pea- size or cherry- size, depending on cultivars. Some catalogues offer varieties without prickles, some sweet-fruited cultivars and seeds of varieties suitable for rootstock production.

One probably would have to look through the hybrids for really improved large and / or sweet fruits and for plants without prickles. The East-West Seed Group carry in stock larger size cultivars. 'Kermit' (see table), advertised as a Solanum melongena L. may or may not have Solanum torvum parentage but it looks like a larger size pea ranging from cherry size to tennis ball size and could be used instead of the real "pea eggplant" if size matters. 'Puangyok' could be a genuine Solanum torvum Sw. cultivar with fruits reported to range from 30 to 80 g. 'Gelatik' from East West Indonesia could be another cultivar with fruits ranging from 30 to 35 g. The importation of this species into the USA is prohibited.

Reproduced from flickr with permission from the copyright owner: Clay Irving

The typical pea eggplant Solanum torvum Sw.

Reproduced from Life's Indulgences with permission from the copyright owner: Shirley Ng

Cultivar 'Puangyok' showing seeds being formed. Still edible but just.

Gardening note: Rudy R. Schippers in her article on Solanum torvum Sw. mentions that the seeds need exposure to sunlight in order to germinate.

Solanum ferox L.

Full size and cropped shots reproduced with kind permission from Professor Eizi Suzuki, Kagoshima University, Japan

The following is mostly from an Australo-Asian perspective but this plant is also present in Africa and is known for example in China as an African eggplant.

This is a truly wild species with its armada of prickles. It produces the Wild pea eggplants of Thailand as opposed to the domesticated types of the preceding species. It is either grown in home gardens or the fruits are collected from the wild. Some fruits are also commonly offered for sale at local vegetable markets. The wild and cultivated forms are both described as cultivars, as is often the case with semi-domesticated plants. The hairy fruits are picked young and the fuzz removed by brushing. When they turn yellow they have passed their edible stage. It is known as the "Hairy-fruited eggplant", "Malaysian sunplant", "Yellow-fruited nightshade" etc.
Breeding programs focusing on developing spineless cultivars have barely been initiated. Meanwhile germplasm collections are maintained by home gardeners in most regions of Thailand.

Some semi-domesticated forms are beginning to be reported in East Asia, even some without prickles. General statistics for the fruits are: 1.5 to 3 cm in diameter. Plants are 1 to 2 m tall , can be either prickly or not, will grow in shady spots up to 1500 m of altitude, and will yield up to 15 fruits.

There are five to seven groups of cultivars in this species but we will mention only three because the others are still obscure (at least to us) in terms of nomenclature.

Solanum ferox L. (Domesticum Group)

This group seems to be composed mainly of plants from Thailand. We haven't found any cultivar yet.

Solanum ferox L. (Sinkade Group)

This group seems to be composed mainly of plants from Burma (now called Myanmar). As one would expect there is a cultivar called 'Sinkade' with larger cherry-sized fruits. Probably not much different from those shown below.

Solanum ferox L. (Terong Asam Group)

This group is in fact a little difficult to grasp. Our understanding is that it is a synonym of Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal. and that it is by numerous accounts a popular "eggplant" in Sarawak where it is known as Sour brinjal or Wild brinjal. It goes by the Malay names Terong asam or Terong Dayak unfortunately all those names could equally apply to Solanum macrocarpon which also happens to have similar looking fruits making the identification rather difficult. Solanum lasiocarpum L. is basically a wild or semi-wild species occasionally cultivated for its edible fruits in Southeast Asia in general, New Guinea and Sarawak in particular. The fruits are used in sauces and curries and, like those of most of these (eggplant / nightshade borderline) plants, have a sour taste. This species has some medicinal value as well.

Mixed fruits from Borneo at the market stall

Ripe (overripe) fruits close-up

Cooking fruits

Photographs 1 by Yin Chuun Photographs 2 by Yin Chuun and Photograh 3 by XPing , reprinted with permission from Flickr

Sour brinjal, Wild brinjal, Tarong asam or Tarong pasai or Terung dayak

See also Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal

Asian eggplants catalogue

Disclaimer

We have done our best trying to identify every cultivar mentioned. If we have made mistakes please tell us. We have not discriminated between so called organic source of seeds and others in order to offer the broad spectrum of what is available in the world. Again if me missed something please tell us, we will update this table promptly. Send mail to m.porcher@unimelb.edu.au

Botanical identification (proposed)	Cultivar name / Vernacular name	Descriptive info. (various sources)	Photo of cultivar or type if available
Solanum melongena L.	'Arumagan' aka 'Arumugam'	Green, white and lavender fruits, many are striped. From Tamil Nadu ' India. Available : Baker Creek, Amishland Seeds.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Asian Bride' aka 'Bride'	2-3 fruits per cluster. Fruit is slender, straight, 20 cm long ( 7 - 8 inches) and 3.5 cm (1 - 2 inches) in diameter, weighing about 90 g. It has purple skin with white stripes, green calyx, and white flesh. Available : Known-You Seed Co. Ltd., Kings Seeds N. Z., Tomato Growers Supply Co
Solanum melongena L.	'Aspara' F1	Indiant eggplant, with small oval round smooth skinned white- striped purple fruits 80 g. produced in clusters. Reminiscent of Udumalapet.
Solanum melongena L.	'Bali ' F1	Long-fruited Indian cultivar with purple fruits in the 80 to 100g range. Available : Seeds of India.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Bangladeshi Long'	Cylindrical purple-gray fruit with dark purple stripes. Available : Baker Creek	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Bharata Star'	Indian cultivar with medium size round dark purple fruits (200-300 g)	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Black Baby' aka 'Black Chu Chu' F1	Indiant eggplant with small oval round purple fruits 40 to 50 g. 45 days. Available : Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Black Egg'	An early Japanese cultivar with small, tender, egg-shaped or pear-shaped fruits about 5 inches long. The 3 foot tall plant is somewhat tolerant of flea beetles, its foliage is green with purple veins. 65 to 85 days. Available: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Seeds by Design, Marianna's Heirloom Seeds
Solanum melongena L.	'Cambodian Green Giant'	Large round flat variety from Cambodia. Pale green with dark green stripes, lightly ribbed (2 - 4 inches x 5 - 6 inches). 90 days. Available : Marianna's Heirloom Seeds, Trade Winds Fruits, Baker Creek, Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Chinese Long Sword'	Similar to Long White, only a couple inches fatter. 85 days. Available: Marianna's Heirloom Seeds	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Chu Chu' aka 'Red Chu Chu'	Indian eggplant with small oval round bright red puple fruits 40 to 50 g. 40 days. Available : Evergreen Seeds
Solanum melongena L.	'Fengyuan Purple'	A foot (30 cm) long fruits. 65 days. Available: Tomato Growers Supply Co, Trade Winds Fruits, Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Green Doll' F1	An elongated form of the Thai round green eggplant. White egg-shaped fruits 15-20 grams with the typical green markings. Available : Evergreen Seeds.
Solanum melongena L.	'Hari ' F1	Long-fruited Indian cultivar with green fruits in the 80 to 100g range. 50 - 55 days. Available : Seeds of India.
Solanum melongena L.	'Harihar' F1	Oval-round-fruited Indian cultivar with green fruits in the 80 to 90 g range. 50 - 55 days. Available : Seminis India.
Solanum melongena L.	'Indian Red'	Extremely rare, no seed source known. Red Chu Chu would probably be the closest to this type among modern cultivars, with a sligthly different shade of red and minus the black stripes.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Japanese White Egg'	Close to the "original", still grown around the world in both O.P and F1 form, mostly appreciated as a curiosity and an ornamental eggplant.
Solanum melongena L.	'Kamo'	Round fruits lavender white to dark purple 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Origin Kyoto - Japan.
Solanum melongena L. or Solanum torvum Sw. ?	'Kermit' F1	Hybrid version of Thai round cherry size eggplant, with small round white fruits 3 to 5 cm in diameter with dark-green shoulders (blossom end) and stripes. 'Tige'r & 'Petch Siam' have similar looking fruits. Compact, well-branched plant with a prolific set of 40 to 60 g fruits . 60 days. Available : Nicky's Nursery, Tomato Growers Supply Co., Reimer Seeds, Evergreen Seeds
Solanum melongena L.	'Kurume Long Purple'	Japanese cultivar with dark purple fruits, 6 - 8 inches long by 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter. Available : Cross Country Nurseries.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Kyoto Egg ' F1	Dark purple egg-shaped to round fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Lao Green Stripe' aka 'Green Tiger'	Round 2'' green fruit with white stripes. Best eaten when small. 90 days. Available : Baker Creek, Reimer Seeds, Trade Winds Fruits, British Seeds Ltd.
Solanum melongena L.	'Lao Lavender'	Long oriental type. Very pretty, brilliant violet fruits. 90 days. Available : Marianna's Heirloom Seed
Solanum melongena L.	'Lao Purple Stripe' aka 'Purple Tiger'	Round 2'' purple fruit with white stripes. Best eaten when small. 90 days. Available : Chile Plants, Reimer Seeds, Trade Winds Fruits, British Seeds Ltd., Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Lao White'	Ball shaped fruit from Laos, matures to deep yellow. Available : Baker Creek
Solanum melongena L.	'Little Fingers ' F1	Chinese cultivar with small long purple fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Long White Angel ' F1	Chinese cultivar with long white fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Lucky Green'	Chinese cultivar with long green fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Ma Zu Purple'	Chinese cultivar with long purple fruits. Available : Cross Country Nurseries.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Machiaw' F1	Long, slender purple fruit. Tender flesh. Available: Tomato Growers Supply Co, Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Malaysian Dark Red' aka 'Malaysian Violet'	8 to 10 inches long slender fruits on 2 to 3 feet plants. 60-70 days. Available: TradeWinds Fruit
Solanum melongena L.	'Manjari' F1	Small Indian cultivar with dark-purple fruits in the 30 to 100g range. Available : Seminis India.
Solanum melongena L.	'Megadok ' F1	Chinese cultivar with long purple fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Milionaire ' F1	Japanese cultivar with long dark purple fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'No Name 1'	Thai eggplant with small round yellow fruits 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter. Available: USDA - ARS, Chiang Mai University Thailand.
Solanum melongena L.	'No Name 2'	Thai eggplant with yellow egg-shaped fruits. Plant number 181. ID number PI 593808. Available: USDA - ARS, Chiang Mai University Thailand.
Solanum melongena L.	'No Name 3'	Thai eggplant Available: USDA - ARS, Chiang Mai University Thailand.
Solanum melongena L.	'Ping Pong' F1	A larger size fruit compared to the typical pea eggplant.	looking for photo

Solanum melongena L.	'Ping Tung Long' aka Pingtung Long'	Deep shiny lavender fruits 12-18 inches long by 1.2 inch in diameter. Keep plant upright in order to get straight fruits.65 to 90 days. Available : Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Seeds by Design, Trade Winds Fruits, Tomato Growers Supply Company
Solanum melongena L.	'Ping Tung'	Violet-purple sweet fruits 45cm long and 5cm in diameter. Disease resistant and highly productive plant.. Top Chinese cultivar on the market from Taiwan. 62 to 70 days. Available: Nicky's Nursery
Solanum torvum Sw. or Solanum melongena L.?	'Puangyok' aka 'Puangyok Thai Pea'	A Thai pea eggplant with green cherry size fruits (40 to 80g). Plant 8 to 12 feet high.
Solanum melongena L.	'Purple Ball'	Oriental bite size eggplant with small dark purple fruits 10 to 12 g. Available : Evergreen Seeds, Cross Country Nurseries.
Solanum melongena L.	'Raavayya' F1	Indian hybrid. Reddish purple oval fruits 2.5 x 1.5 inches with many uses in the kitchen. Available : Cross Country Nurseries
Solanum melongena L.	'Ratna' aka 'Ratnayake'	Small Indian cultivar with dark-purple fruits in the 30 to 100g range. Available : Amishland Seeds, Seeds of India.
Solanum melongena L.	'Rhim Jhim'	Indian cultivar. Purple fruits with white streaks. Available : Seeds of India

Solanum melongena L.	'Rolex ' F1	Thai cultivar with long (10 inches) green mild and sweet fruits about 100 to 200g. Attractive plant.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Senryu Ni Gou ' F1	Japanese cultivar with elongated dark purple fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Shoya Long ' F1	Japanese cultivar with very long dark purple fruits.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Southern Pink' F1	Large fruits, 150-200 grams in weight, have very small seed cavity and very slow seed ripening. Available : Evergreen Seeds.
Solanum violaceum Ortega ?	'Sparrow's Brinjal' aka "Ma Waeng "	Rare. Tiny greenish-white fruits are used in curries. They turn red at maturity but are still used in soups and sauces, also in natural medicine. Attractive plant needing protection from the cold. Available : Baker Creek, Nicky's Nursery
Solanum melongena L.	'Suphal'	Indian cultivar with medium size oval dark purple fruits (200-300 g)
Solanum melongena L.	'Supriya'	Indian cultivar with medium size round violet fruits (200-300 g)	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Dark Round Green'	Dark green fruits, striped with white. Excellent in stir fry. Easy to grow. Available : Baker Creek	looking for photo
Solanum torvum Sw.	'Thai Green Pea' Import into the USA prohibited	Tiny green fruit looks the size of a pea. Strong eggplant taste. Great in stir fry's. Matures late. Available : Baker Creek
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Light Round Green'	Tiny green fruit with light green stripes. Available : Baker Creek, Nicky's Nursery, British Seeds Ltd.
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Long Green'	The 10-12" long, very slender fruits are a beautiful light-lime green. The flesh is tender with a mild sweet flavour and few seeds if picked early. Whitening of the fruit indicates maturing and start of seed formation. Good yields on 2-3 ft tall plants. Will grow in a large-enough tub. 80 days. Available : Nicky's Nursery, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Marianna's Heirloom Seeds, British Seeds Ltd.
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Long Purple'	Long, thin fruit are dark purple, very mild, sweet and uniform. Available : Nicky's Nursery
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Long Violet'	Violet to light-purple. Can easily be confused with either Ping Tung or Thai Long Purple. Has most of the culinary attributes of Thai Long Green. Available: Seed Savers Network (Aust.)
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Long Yellow'	In reality unknow cultivar of Thai eggplant.Registered with GRIN as PI 639115, Plant number 243. Available: USDA - ARS, Chiang Mai University Thailand.
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Purple Egg'	Small purple egg shaped fruit. Available : Baker Creek	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Round Green'	Typical Thai round eggplant with fruits 2 inches in diameter in the 40 to 80g range.. Available : Evergreen Seeds.
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Round Green'	Available :
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Round White'	Available :
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai White Ribbed'	Most unusual among the Thai eggplants. Pure white, flat and deeply ribbed. Famous in Thailand, egg shaped fruit picked when bright yellow. Used as garnish. Available : Baker Creek	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Thai Yellow Egg'	Egg sized fruits harvested when they are a bright golden yellow. Used in Thai dishes and as a garnish. Available : Nicky's Nursery, Trade Winds Fruits, British Seeds Ltd.
Solanum melongena L.	'Udumalapet' aka 'Udmalbet'	From Tamil Nadu - India. Fruits 3 inches long. Plant matures in 80 - 90 days. Available : Seed Savers Exchange, Trade Winds Fruits, British Seeds Ltd., Amishland Seeds.
Solanum melongena L.	'Violet Prince ' F1	Thai eggplant with small round violet-purple and white skinned fruits 25-30 grams. 35-40 days. Available : Evergreen Seeds.
Solanum melongena L.	'Matti Gulla' aka "Green brinjal"	Indian type of large round eggplant grown in Matti village of Udupi district.
Solanum melongena L.	'White Ball ' F1	White fruits in the 40 to 80g range.	looking for photo
Solanum melongena L.	'Wu kung ch'ieh'	Thai eggplant with small round white fruits. Available: USDA - ARS, Chiang Mai University Thailand.
Solanum melongena L.	มะเขือม่วงเล็ก aka 'Thai Small Purple'	Slightly elongated egg-shaped purple-red Thai eggplant.

Sources of seeds

Note on the following companies.

A number of those are part of complex corporate structures and are difficult to contact directly. The main address that we give below is a starting point. We are not sponsored by any of those companies nor do we receive any favour from them apart from the odd catalogue photo. It would be nice to be able to link directly to a gallery or a photo or a description but this is sometimes impossible and practice has taught us that these links never last long anyway because online catalogues / sites are updated too often. The seed sources likely to carry Open Pollinated / bio ag. friendly cultivars are tagged with (O.P. cvs), Others are more likely to carry some hybrids but they may have also some organic sections such as Graines Baumaux. Few are either totally "organic" or completely "non organic" ie. holding only hybrids (F1 cvs) or GM cultivars.

AgroHaitai Ltd. Sometimes incorrectly called Oriental Vegetable Seeds. (8 F1 cvs & 1 O.P. cv)

Amishland Seeds. O.P.

Australian Free Seed Ring .O.P.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds , also known as Rare Seeds.O.P. (50 cvs)

Botanical Interests Online. (3 O.P. cvs)

British Seeds Ltd. Japanese page. (26 O.P. cvs)

Chiltern Seeds . (10 O.P. cvs)

Condor Seed Production Inc. (5cvs)

Cross Country Nurseries (seedlings). A particularly well organized and very informative catalogue.Wide range of cultivars, nearly all nicely illustrated.Check their sortable eggplant chart. (53 cvs)

DeBaggio's Herb Farm and Nursery, also known as DeBaggio Enterprises LLC. USA (14 cvs)

Diggers Seeds Aust. O.P.

East West Seed Indonesia , Part of East West Seed Group. (2 O.P. cvs & 7 F1 cvs)

East-West Seed Thailand , Part of East West Seed Group. (3 F1 cvs)

East-West Seed Philippines , Part of East West Seed Group. (3 F1 cvs)

East-West Seed International , Part of East West Seed Group. (10 F1 cvs & 1 O.P. cv)

Evergreen Seeds . (26 cvs)

Graines Baumaux . France. (17 O.P. cvs) + (12 F1 cvs).

India Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company also known as Mahyco. India. (14 F1 cvs & 15 O.P. cvs)

Indo-American Hybrid Seeds (India) Pvt. Ltd. India (6 F1 cvs & 12 O.P. cvs)

ISLA Sementes Ltda. (3 cvs)

Johnny's Selected Seeds. (17 F1 cvs) + (1 O.P. cv). Have a "cool" online catalogue.

Kings Seeds N. Z.

Known-You Seed Co. Ltd. Taiwan (15 cvs)

Kokopelli .O.P. (34 .O.P. cvs)

Long Island Seed Project also known as LiSeeds (12 O.P. cvs)

Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company, also known as Mahyco (15 O.P. cvs + 14 F1)

Marianna's Heirloom Seeds USA. Have a magnificient tomato gallery with a few eggplants thrown in. (28 O.P. cvs)

Nicky's Nurseries UK. (10 F1 cvs & 9 O.P. cvs )

Piante & Passione - A division of Ecofaber. (Source of Melanzana 'Seta') (5 cvs)

Plant World Devon Ltd. (2 O.P. cvs)

Reimer Seeds . USA (62 cvs)

SAKATA Seed Sudamerica Ltda .( Portuguese page ) (2 O.P. & 2 F1)

Sand Hill Preservation Center - Canada. (20 O.P. cvs)

Seed Exchange . O.P.

Seeds of Change . (11 O. P. cvs)

Seeds of India. (1 F1 cv & 9 O.P. cvs)

Seed Savers Exchange . O.P. (15 O.P. cvs)

Seminis India , otherwise known as Monsanto Co. (6 cvs)

Seminis US & Canada , otherwise known as Monsanto Co.(12 cvs)

SicilPlants. Source of 'Black Beauty' selection Baffa (25 cvs)

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange .O.P. (11 O.P. cvs)

Technisem . (14 cvs)

Terroir Seeds LLC . otherwise known as Underwood Gardens. (4 O.P. cvs)

Tomato Growers Supply Company (13 O.P. cvs) + (13 F1 cvs)

Trade Winds Fruits USA Edible (18 cvs), Ornamental (4 spp.).

Unwins Seeds UK sell an interesting mix of varieties that they call "Aubergine Chinese Ancestors Seeds". (8 cvs)

VNR Seeds Pvt. Ltd. India (28 cvs)

Some of the widest ranges of Asian eggplants are to be found in the following galleries (numbers are noted for most other sources above):

Evergreen Seeds' site (26 cvs), Cross Country Nurseries (53 seedlings). Among their Asian eggplants is a cultivar called 'Red China' (listed as Solanum melongena L.) looking very much like the African 'Kumba', and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (50 cvs). 'Red China' is also listed there.

Lexiques

The vernacular / common names below are most unreliable. They are given here to give hints on "what it could be" but not "what it is". The purpose of the MMPND is actually to sort the valid names from the others, a process that will go on until 2020 and most likely beyond.

A mini lexique of Chinese names
Bolded botanical names are in front of official Chinese names.

茄 = Qie = Eggplant.
茄子 =   Qie zi = Eggplant = Solanum melongena L.
大茄子 = Da qie zi = Long eggplant (xx to xx cm) .
大长茄子 = Da chang qie zi   = Very long eggplant (25 to 40 cm) .
小茄子 = Xiao qie zi   = Small eggplant (3 to 6 cm) .
非洲茄子 = Fei zhou qie zi = African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.)
红茄 = Hong qie    = Solanum aethiopicum L. (Solanum integrifolium Poir.)
非洲茄子 = Fei zhou qie zi   = African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L.)
拉子茄 = La zi qie = African eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L.)
非洲红茄 = Fei zhou hong qie = Red African eggplant.

蛋形茄 = Dan xing qie = Egg-shaped eggplant.
白色蛋形果 = Bai se dan xing guo = White egg-shaped fruit (more likely to apply to something else than eggplant).
鸡蛋茄 = Ji dan qie = Egg-shaped eggplant = Solanum melongena L. (Ovigerum Group).

圆形茄 = Yuan xing qie = Round eggplant.
黑大长茄子 = Hei da chang qie zi = Dark purple (black) long eggplant.

红茄子 = Hong qie zi = Red-fruited eggplant.
泰国茄子 = Tai guo qie zi = Thai eggplant
紫色茄子 = Zi se qie zi = Purple eggplant.

白茄子 = Bai qie zi = White-fruited eggplant.

份赤茄 = Feng chi qie = African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.)
水茄 = Shui qie = Solanum torvum Sw. (Although the characters are identical, this name does not have the same meaning in Japanese).
野生茄 = Ye sheng qie = Wild eggplant (Solanum torvum Sw.)
印度茄 = Yin du qie = Solanum anguivi ?
印度茄 = Yin du qie = Solanum indicum ?
印度茄 = Yin du qie = Soalnum violaceum ?
刺茄 = Ci qie = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.
刺茄 = Ci qie = Solanum capsicoides All.
刺茄 = Ci qie = Solanum indicum L.
刺茄 = Ci qie = Solanum torvum Sw.

刺天茄 = Ci tian qie = Solanum violaceum Ortega
毛茄 = Mao qie = Solanum ferox

毛果茄 = Mao guo qie = Solanum virginianum L (Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl.)

红果龙葵 = Hong guo long kui = Solanum villosum Miller

Suggestions, corrections, additions welcome (a lot more work to do on this one)

A mini lexique of Japanese names

Note on Japanese names: In science, nomenclature and lexicography the katakana script is used (probably because it is the easiest to master), but in Japan, and Japanese catalogues in particular, expect a combination of kanji and hiragana characters. As an aid to Japanese people, any difficult kanji character (yes they have problems too) is usually accompanied by the hiragana equivalent (see Maruk site for beautiful illustrations of this). However rarely is the transliteration (romaji) written in books and even dictionaries. Only the good ones will include romaji. The MMPND does. We give examples of all versions below. This lexique needs a lot more work than any of the others on this page, so please be patient if you like certainty. Keep in mind also that common names in any language are never entirely reliable anyway.

茄子 (Kanji script) = なす (Hiragana script) = ナス (Katakana script) = Nasu (Romaji) = Eggplant.
エッグプラント (Katakana script) Eggupuranto (Romaji) = Eggplant.

青大丸なす = Ao daimaru nasu = Large green eggplant = Solanum melongena L.
大丸なす = Daimaru nasu = Large European eggplant = Solanum melongena L.

白なす = Shiro nasu = White eggplant = Solanum melongena L.
ダイマルナス Daimaru nasu -> Solanum melongena L.

カナリアナス Kanaria nasu = Solanum mammosum L.
カザリナス Kazari nasu = Solanum aethiopicum L.

センナリナス Sennari nasu = Solanum macrocarpon L.
シロスズメナスビ Shiro suzume nasubi = Solanum indicum L. ?

ソラヌム・インディクム Soranumu indikumu = Solanum indicum L.?

ソラヌム・エチオピクム Soranumu echiopikumu = Solanum aethiopicum L.
ソラヌム・ヅルカマラ Soranumu jurukamara -> Solanum dulcamara L.

ソラヌム・マクロカルポン Soranumu makurokarupon -> Solanum macrocarpon L.
スズメナスビ Suzume nasubi = Solanum torvum Sw.

大長なす = Very long eggplant (25 to 40 cm) .

丸なす    = Round eggplant (example Kyoto's cultivar 'Kamo')
長卵形なす = Elongated egg-shaped eggplant.
小丸なす   = Baby-size round eggplant.
小なす   = Small eggplant (3 to 6 cm) .
卵形なす   Tamago gata nasu = Egg-shaped eggplant.

長茄子 = 長なす = Long eggplant (20 to 25 cm) Solanum melongena L. (Oblongatum Group).
タイナス = Thai eggplant.
緑茄子 = Green eggplant
白茄子 = Green eggplant (despite the 1st character meaning "white" this name appears to apply to many green fruited eggplants).
ラオナス = Lao eggplant.
白長なす = Long white eggplant.

白茄子 = White eggplant.

米なす = American eggplant.
べいなす = American eggplant.
青大丸茄子 Ao daimaru nasu = Large green eggplant (European style).
アオダイマルナス Ao daimaru nasu = Large green eggplant (European style).

中長なす = Medium long (12 to 15 cm) or Long oval.
水茄子 = 水ナス = Mizu nasu = a relatively new type of eggplant sometimes advertised as a juicy eggplant. Its flesh is not as dry as common eggplant fruits = Solanum melongena L. (Although the basic characters are identical, this name does not have the same meaning in Chinese. An advertising image can be seen on this Japanese site).

リスターダ・デ・ガンディア (Katakana script) = Risutaada de gandia (Romaji) = Cultivar 'Listada de Gandia' (from Italy).
ウダマラペット (Katakana script) Udamarapetto (Romaji) = Cultivar 'Udumalapet' (from Tamil Nadu - India).

British Seeds Ltd. The really keen will find there many cultivar names in Japanese (katakana script) under beautiful photos.
Beautiful illustrations of the Japanese types can be seen on Maruk.jp site where Japanese photographic art meets horticulture (copy "ナス" and paste in the "search in page" window of your browser to find which Japanese button to click on the left of Maruk' index).
In much less artistic styles a display of various Japanese types and here (requires Japanese (Shift_JIS) encoding).

Suggestions, corrections, additions welcome (a lot more work to do on this one)

A mini lexique of Malay names

Malay (Malaysia)

Tarong asam = Solanum ferox L. (Terong Asam Group) also applied to Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal (synonyms?)

Tarong pasai (Brunei) = Solanum ferox L.(Terong Asam Group) (also applied to Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal which is a botanical synonym)

Terong asam = Solanum ferox L.(Terong Asam Group)

Terong asam = Solanum indicum L.

Terong asam = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong belanda = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong biru (blue brinjal) = Solanum melongena L.

Terong Bulat Kuning = Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & J.C.Wendl. = Solanum virginianum L.

Terong cepoka = Solanum torvum Sw.

Terong china (Chinese brinjal) = Solanum melongena L.

Terong dayak = Solanum ferox L.(Terong Asam Group)

Terong engkol = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong gayung (Sundanese) = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong hijau (green brinjal) = Green eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terong iban = Solanum ferox L.

Terong India Kuning = Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & J.C.Wendl. = Solanum virginianum L.

Terong kelapa = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong manis (sweet brinjal) = Solanum melongena L.

Terong meranti = Solanum nigrum

Terong perak = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong perat = Solanum ferox L. (also applied to Solanum americanum L.)

Terong pipit (Sumatra) = Solanum torvum Sw. (also applied to Solanum violaceum Ortega)

Terong pokok = Crispy brinjal = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong puteh (white brinjal) = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terong puyoh = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong rapoh = Solanum melongena L. ?

Terong rapoh = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong rapok = Crispy brinjal = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong rembang = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong santan = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terong susu = Solanum mammosum L.

Terong tenang = Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Terong ungu (purple brinjal) = Solanum melongena L.

Malay (Indonesia)

Terung asam = Solanum ferox L.(Terong Asam Group)
Terung asam = Sour eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung asam = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terung belanda rebus = Solanum torvum Sw.

Terung biru = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung Bulat = Round Asian eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung Bulu = Solanum ferox L.

Terung china = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung dayak = Solanum ferox L.(Terong Asam Group)

Terung dayak = Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal (synonym)

Terung hijau = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung hitam = Dark-purple eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung iban = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Terung manis = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung masam = Solanum lycopersicum L.

Terung meranti = Solanum americanum Mill.

Terung Panjang = Long Chinese eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung Pendek = Japanese eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung perat = Solanum americanum Mill.

Terung pipit = = Solanum torvum Sw.

Terung putih = (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung putih = Small white eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung ranti = Solanum americanum Mill.

Terung rapuh = (Solanum melongena L.) ???

Terung Siam = Thai eggplant, Kermit eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Terung susu kambing = Solanum mammosum L.

Terung tetek kambing = Solanum mammosum L.

Terung ungu (Indonesia) = Violet eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Suggestions, corrections, additions welcome.

A mini lexique of Thai names

Including other species fron the genus Solanum. These may not cross-fertilise with the eggplants but they may well be susceptible to the same diseases. For example the tobacco virus can be transmitted on to eggplants by smoking gardeners.

มะปู่ Ma bpoo -> Solanum ferox L. (Sinkade Group )

มะแขว้ง Ma kae -> Solanum torvum Sw.

มะแขว้งขม Ma kae kom -> Solanum sanitwongsei Craib (bitter)

มะแขว้งขม Ma kae kom -> Solanum violaceum Ortega (bitter)

มะแขว้งเคือ Ma kae keuang -> Solanum trilobatum L.

มะเขือ Ma khuea -> Solanum melongena L.

มะเขือเปราะ Ma khuea bpror -> Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

มะเขือเปราะ Ma khuea bpror -> Solanum melongena L. (round Thai eggplant, small round brinjal)

มะเขือเปราะ Ma khuea bpror -> Solanum xanthocarpum Schrader et Wendl.

มะเขือต้น Ma khuea dton -> Solanum wrightii Benth.
มะเขือคางกบ Ma khuea kaang gop -> Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.
มะเขือคำ Ma khuea kam -> Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.
มะเขือขันคำ Ma khuea kan kam -> Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

มะเขือขาว Ma khuea khao (Má kĕua kăao) -> Solanum melongena L. (Large egg plant).

มะเขือขื่น Ma khuea kheun -> Solanum melongena L. ? small round brinjal also aculeatissimum ? (bitter)

มะเขือขื่น Ma khuea kheun (Má kĕua kèun) -> Solanum xanthocarpum Schrader & Wendl. (Yellow-berried nightshade) (bitter)

มะเขือม่วง Ma khuea muang -> Solanum melongena L. (purple fruit)

มะเขือม่วงเล็ก Ma khuea muang lek -> Solanum melongena L. (Small Purple Eggplant)

มะเขือหนาม Ma khuea naam -> Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

มะเขือพวง Ma khuea phuang -> Solanum torvum Sw. (Brinjal, pea-eggplant)

มะเขือส้ม Ma khuea som -> Lycepersicum esculentum Mill. (Currant tomato)

มะเขือเทศ Ma khuea tet (Má kĕua têt) -> Lycepersicum esculentum Mill.

มะเขือหวาน Ma khuea waan -> Solanum muricatum Ait.

มะเขือยาว Ma khuea yao (Ma khuea yaao) -> Solanum melongena L. (long thin fruit)

มะอึก Ma ûk -> Solanum ferox L.

มะแว้ง Ma waeng -> Solanum violaceum Ortega (Solanum indicum sensu C.B. Clarke, Solanum indicum auct. non L.)

มะแว้ง Ma waeng -> Solanum indicum L. Possibly a mistake - non L. (see "A little Taxonomy" section)

มะแว้ง Ma waeng -> Solanum trilobatum L.

มะแว้งต้น Ma waeng dton -> Solanum sanitwongsei Craib

มะแว้งเครือ Ma waeng khruea (Ma wang kreue) -> Solanum trilobatum L.

มะแว้งนก Ma waeng nok -> Solanum americanum Mill.
ออกเสียง Mam oh sum -> Solanum mammosum L.

มันฝรั่ง Man farang -> Solanum tuberosum L.

Suggestions, corrections, additions welcome.

A mini lexique of Vietnamese names

Cà = Solanum melongena L.

Cà ân = Solanum violaceum Ortega

Cà ba thuỳ = Solanum trilobatum L

Cà bat = Solanum melongena L.

Cà bung = Solanum ferox L.

Cà dái dê = Solanum melongena L.

Cà dại hoa tím = Solanum violaceum Ortega

Cà dại hoa trắng = Pea eggplant = Solanum torvum Sw.

Cà dại quả đỏ = Solanum surattense Burm.f.

Cà đen = Solanum nigrum L.

Cà du = Solanum ferox L.

Cà gai hoang = Solanum incanum L.

Cà hoang = Pea eggplant = Solanum torvum Sw.

Cà hoang = Solanum violaceum Ortega

Cà hung = Solanum ferox L.

Cà lông = Solanum ferox L.

Cà nong = Pea eggplant = Solanum torvum Sw.

Cà Nút áo = Pea eggplant = Solanum torvum Sw.

Cà pháo = Solanum undatum Poir.

Cà pháo = Solanum undatum Jacq., non Lam.

Cà pháo = Thai Small round green (Kermit type) = Solanum melongena L.

Cà pháo = Solanum macrocarpon L.

Cà pháo chum = Pea eggplant = Solanum torvum Sw.

Cà pháo rằn = Striped Eggplant ('Green Doll' type) = Solanum melongena L.

Cà pháo trắng = Solanum melongena L. (egg type-white)

Cà tím = Solanum melongena L.

Cà tím dài = Solanum melongena L. (long purple)

Cà tím quả dài = Solanum melongena L. (long fruited)

Cà trái-lông = Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal

Cà trái vàng = Solanum virginianum

Cà trái-vàng = Solanum xanthocarpum Schrader & Wendl.

Cà trời = Solanum ferox L.
Cà vú dê = Solanum mammosum L.
Cây khoai tây = Solanum tuberosum L.
Cây nụ áo = Solanum nigrum L.
Cây Vú bò = Solanum mammosum L.
Khoai tây = Solanum tuberosum L.

Lu lu đực = Solanum nigrum L.
Thù lù đực = Solanum nigrum L.

Ref. for Vietnamese names:
Hải Thượng Lãn Ông , VIỆN THÔNG TIN - THƯ VIỆN Y HỌC TRUNG ƯƠNG. Lê Thánh Tông - Hà Nội - Việt Nam. < http://www.lrc-hueuni.edu.vn/dongy/index.html >. Latin index / search : < http://www.lrc-hueuni.edu.vn/dongy/search.plx >.
Hô Pham-Hoàng, 1991 - 1993, Cây co Viêtnam. An Illustrated Flora of Vietnam in 6 Volumes. Montreal.
M.M.P.N.D. Solanum species & Vietnamese index.

Further reading
Miscellaneous
Seeds / Plants sources / Useful contacts / Tips / More information
See also this section on all related pages.

USEFUL ADDRESSES

One Seed At A Time - A Southeast Seed Bank and Curation Facility.
Run by the Saving Our Seed Project in conjunction with the Seed Saver's Exchange, under the wing of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. A project with great potential. See their presentation (Microsoft Powerpoint) on seed saving: < http://www.savingourseed.org/Survey/SavingSuperiorSeed.html >.

USDA, ARS - GRIN. (United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service - Germplasm Resources Information Network). One of my favorite references for most economic plants of the world. They offer online access to a vast national collection of plant materials for thousands of crops and wild relatives. This is not just for academic reference, free seeds and plants are available for research purposes (including backyard research), quarantine laws permitting. The section holding it all together is the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit.

Extra photos

A collection of Flickr photos pertaining to size:
Solanum melongena L. on Alaina B. photostream.
a similar better quality shot by speedwolf
Solanum melongena L. by Daniel M Perez
Pea eggplants Solanum torvum Sw. by TRWhite, obviously not impressed by the taste.

Compiled by Michel H. Porcher

Started: 12 / 04 / 09

Updated: 07 / 07 / 09

Completed: soon!
Disclaimer