macrocarpon

Macrocarpon is a Latin-derived species epithet used in botanical nomenclature to indicate a relatively large fruit. The name combines macro- meaning large with karpos meaning fruit, and it is employed in the scientific names of various plant species to signal fruit size relative to related taxa. In practice, macrocarpon appears most often as a species epithet in historical and regional classifications.

The best-known use is Solanum macrocarpon, commonly called the African eggplant or gboma eggplant. This plant is a member of the nightshade family and is cultivated in Africa and other tropical regions for its relatively large edible fruits. The fruits are used in a range of dishes, and different cultivars can vary in size, shape, and color. The plant is grown as a vegetable crop in many local agricultural systems and has a long history of regional culinary integration.

Taxonomic notes indicate that the epithet macrocarpon has been applied in different ways across genera, and classifications have shifted over time as taxonomists reassess relationships using morphological and genetic data. In some regional or historical treatments, gboma eggplant is placed within a broader grouping that others identify as Solanum aethiopicum; in other classifications, it is treated as Solanum macrocarpon. Such terminology reflects ongoing debates about species boundaries within the group and does not undermine the general meaning of the epithet as signaling large fruit.