THESIS

Furthermore, TS02950 collected in Cambodia was received as S. macrocarpon,
which native in Africa such as Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali and Nigeria. This specie
was domesticated with edible fruit and leaf, cultivated throughout a large part of
Africa (Furini and Wunder, 2004). Based on morphology, TS02950 was identified as
S. xanthocarpum. A distinct phenotype was observed for the accession of S.
xanthocarpum. They had purple corolla and stellate hairy on both surface. Fruit seated
onenlarged calyx, yellow when mature. Stem was aculeate. Leaves were
incircumference ovate-oblong, with unequal, broadly rounded-truncate base, acutish
to obtuse, deeply pinnatifid with irregularly dentate, acutish to obtuse segments,
young with epually by branched stellate hairs on both surfaces.
The morphological characterization of TS00455, TS00456, TS00473,
TS02216, TS02217 and TS02218, collected in Thailand, received as S. parkinsonii,
TS00549, TS00551, TS00552, TS00555 and TS01994, collected in Thailand, received
as S. linociera and TS02440, TS02441-A and TS02441-B received as S.
seaforthianum (Brazilian nightshade), collected in Thailand. TS02496 collected in
Malaysia was received as S. xanthocarpum. TS02268 collected in Vietnam was
received as S. undatum, which is reported to be synonym for S. melongena (Sutarno et
al., 1994). All of these accessions were candidated to be included into S. melongena
(S. melongena complex) bases on morphology. The groups of accessions included in
this complex were very distinct from all others, in fact, although the morphological
investigations indicated a wide diversity in vegetative floral and fruit characters, their
overall morphology allowed them to be clustered into the S. melongena aggregate. It
is an erect, branching, very polymorphous, perennial herb, grown as an annual and 1
to 2 m high. All parts cover with a grey tomentum, sometimes they are somewhat
spiny, older plants might become woody. Leaves alternate, simple, petiole up to 10
cm long, leaf-blade ovate to ovate-oblong, densely stellate hairy, base rounded or
cordately, often unequal, margin sinuate lobed, apex acute or obtuse. Flower varied
from flowers borne singly or in clusters with white, lavender or purple stelliform
corolla. The observations for fruit form were ovoid, oblongoid, obovoid or subglobose
to globose. Fruit color variable, smooth, shiny, white, green, yellow, purple, black or
mixed colored. While based on several traits, all these accessions clearly belonged to
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