SolanumBush Tomato Solanum centrale Solanum chippendalei Solanum ellipticum Solanum quadriloculatum
The Solanum genus contain a variable number of annual and perennial plants ranging from forbs, vines, small to large shrubs and small trees. Most are poisonous, but there are a number of edible fruits, leaves, tubers, including many that are now cultivated:
- Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum
- Potato – Solanum tuberosum
- Eggplant – Solanum melongena
Among this group of plants are the species often referred to as ‘bush tomato’ or ‘bush raisin’. In Central Australia and the Northern Territory, the genus Solanum that include the bush tomato are usually found as small shrubs anywhere from 30 cm to about 1 metre in height. With a covering of hairs, the star-shaped flowers are mostly in clusters, often purple and have the yellow anthers projecting from the centre of each flower. The fruit look like small tomatoes of about 0.5 cm to 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy fruit vary in colour and may be green, yellow, brown, red or black.
The edible bush tomato include Solanum esuriale, S. centrale, S. ellipticum and S. cleistogamum (whilst S. coactiliferum is only edible after removal of the skin).
| CAUTION There are many Solanum species that resemble Solanum centrale, and only some of them produce edible fruit. Some closely related species produce fruit that are toxic. The unripe fruit contains the toxin solanine (the same as that found in green potatoes) and must be fully ripened before consumption. S. sturtianum is poisonous and can usually be recognised by the yellow or black dry brittle fruits. |
Of the 36 species found in Central Australia and the Northern Territory region, these include:
- S. centrale (Desert raisin)
- S. chenopodinum (Wild tomato)
- S. chippendalei (Bush tomato)
- S. cleistogamum (Shy nightshade)
- S. coactiliferum (Western nightshade)
- S. dioicum (Wild tomato)
- S. ellipticum (Potato bush / Native Tomato)
- S. esuriale (Quena, Tomato bush)
- S. ferocissimum (Spiny potato bush)
- S. gilesii (Wild tomato)
- S. lasiophyllum (Wild tomato)
- S. nigrum (Black berry nightshade)
- S. orbiculatum (Wild tomato)
- S. petrophilum (Prickly Nightshade)
- S. quadriloculatum (Wild tomato)
- S. sturtianum (Thargomindah nightshade, Sturt’s nightshade)
- S. tumulicola (Wild tomato)
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Asterids
- Order: Solanales
- Family: Solanaceae
- Subfamily: Solanoideae
- Tribe: Solaneae
- Genus: Solanum
Footnote & References
- Bushfires and Bushtucker Aboriginal Plant Use in Central Australia, Author: Peter Latz
- Solanum, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum (last visited Feb. 20, 2021)
- Wildflowers and Plants of Inland Australia, Author: Anne Urban
- Bush Tomato Handbook by Ange Vincent, Niti One Limited, http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/NintiOneLimited_BushTomatoHandbook.pdf
SolanumBush Tomato Solanum centrale Solanum chippendalei Solanum ellipticum Solanum quadriloculatum
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona