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Solanum macrocarpon
Also called African Eggplant, Gboma Eggplant, Gboma
Solanum macrocarpon, the African eggplant or gboma, is a tropical perennial shrub in the nightshade family, grown for its edible round fruit and leaves. It thrives in warm, humid conditions with steady rain and needs a sheltered, sunny spot.
Solanum macrocarpon otherwise known as the African eggplant (Yoruba: Igba) (Igbo language/ Igbo): añara), Surinamese eggplant (Sranang Tongo: Antroewa / Antruwa) or Vietnamese eggplant (Vietnamese: cà pháo, fire-cracker eggplant) is a plant of the family Solanaceae. S. macrocarpon is a tropical perennial plant that is closely related to the eggplant. S. macrocarpon originated from West Africa, but is now widely distributed in Central and East Africa. The plant also grows in the Caribbean, South America, and some parts of Southeast Asia. S. macrocarpon is widely cultivated for its use as a food, its medicinal purposes, and as an ornamental plant.
Aside from the fruit, every other part of S. macrocarpon has been reported to cause heart failure, digestive problems, and lethargy in dogs. Because S. macrocarpon is part of the family Solanaceae, it contains alkaloids, giving the plant and fruit its bitter taste. Consuming the plant in large frequencies may potentially be poisonous. S. macrocarpon contains glycoalkaloids and the levels found in the fruit were 5-10 times higher than what is considered safe, and may not be safe for humans to eat.
Solanum macrocarpon has a large variety of cultivars. It grows in areas of high rainfall found in the tropical and humid regions of West and Central Africa, South-East Asia, South America and the Caribbean. Some cultivars can be found in the savanna and semi-arid region of Northern Ghana, Burkina Faso and their neighboring countries. The cultivars grown there consist of plants with small leaves and fruit. The fruit cultivars are only able to grow in humid coastal areas. S. macrocarpon can occasionally be found at higher altitudes but have a slower growth rate and are more robust. S. macrocarpon reproduces mostly by self-pollination. Out crossing occurs by bees and other insects, but at low frequencies. The flowers open early in the morning, while still dark. The stigma becomes receptive a few hours before the flower opens, and remains open for two days. The fruits are ready for picking 3–4 weeks after the fruit has set, but it takes about 10 weeks for the fruits to ripen. Germination typically begins a week after sowing. Flowering does not occur until 2–3 months after germination.
Dwarf Tamarillo · Solanum acaule · Sodaapple nightshade · Ethiopian nightshade · American black nightshade · Solanum arcanum · New Zealand nightshade · Solanum berthaultii · Tamarillo · Solanum brevicaule · Solanum cajanumense · Bitter Apple
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Solanum macrocarpon by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
