Thursday 13 March 2014

Solanum melongena - terung telunjuk



Terung (Malay) is a Solanum melongena of the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ).    It is known as eggplant for its resemblance of goose or hen’s egg.  It is also known as melongene, aubergine, brinjal, garden egg or guinea squash.

There are numerous varieties of terung.  Different varieties have different size, shape, and colour.   larger varieties weighing up to 1 kg.   Colours vary from white to yellow, green to dark purple, or with a colour gradient or strips.  Shapes come in round, oval, elongated, cylindrical etc.

It is divided into 3 major varieties : S. melongena var esculentum, the common terung ; S. melongena var depressum , the dwaft terung ; and S. melongena var serpentium, the snake terung.  In addition, a lot of subspecies and cultivar have been named.




Terung telunjuk, or also called terung kuning is a variety of S. melongena found in Malesia.  It is about 10cm in length, with ±3cm diameter.  Colour is light green with white stripes at bottom when immature, turn to yellow upon ripening.   Nevertheless, the flower is brilliantly purple in colour, same as flowers of other varieties.    







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