This article is about the Australian plants and fruits. For bush tomato plants, the determinate varieties of standard tomatoes, see List of tomato cultivars.
Solanum species native to Australia
Bush tomatoes are the fruit or entire plants of certain nightshade (Solanum) species native to the more arid parts of Australia. While they are quite closely related to tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), they might be even closer relatives of the eggplant (S. melongena), which they resemble in many details. There are 94 (mostly perennial) natives and 31 (mostly annual) introduced species in Australia.[1]
Bush tomato plants are small shrubs whose growth is encouraged by fire and disturbance.[1]
The fruit of a number of species have been used as food sources by Aboriginal people in the drier areas of Australia.[1]
A number of Solanum species contain significant levels of solanine and as such are highly poisonous.[1] It is strongly recommended that people unfamiliar with the plant do not experiment with the different species, as differentiating between them can often be difficult.[citation needed]
Some of the edible species are:
Solanum aviculare kangaroo apple[2]
Solanum centrale, also known as desert raisin,[1] bush raisin or bush sultana, or by the native name kutjera
Solanum chippendalei bush tomato, named after taxonomic botanist George Chippendale[1]
Solanum diversiflorum bush tomato, karlumbu, pilirta, wamurla[1]
Solanum ellipticum potato bush, very similar to Solanum quadriloculatum which is poisonous.[1]
Solanum laciniatum kangaroo apple.[3]
Solanum orbiculatum round-leaved solanum[1]
Solanum phlomoides wild tomato.[1]
In 1859, aboriginal people were observed burning off the outer skin of S. aviculare as the raw state would blister their mouths.[4]S. chippendalei is consumed by first splitting the fruit, scraping the centre out and eating the outer flesh as the seeds and surrounding placenta are bitter.[1]S. diversiflorum is roasted before being eaten or dried.[1] Fruit of S.orbiculatum is edible, but the fruit of the large leafed form may be bitter.[1] Fruit of S. phlomoides appears to be edible after the removal of seeds and roasting or sundrying.[1]
Solanum aviculare contains solasodine, a steroid used in the manufacture of oral contraceptives.[2]Solanum plastisexum, a rare species first described in 2019, is distinguished among plants for exhibiting "breeding system fluidity" – that is, it has no stable sexual expression.
^ abcdefghijklmnMoore, Philip A Guide to Plants of Inland Australia (2005), Reed New Holland, Sydney, ISBN 1-876334-86-X
^ abRobinson, Les Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney (1991), Kangaroo Press, Pymble, NSW. 3rd Edition, ISBN 0-7318-1211-5
^Donaldson, Stuart (16 December 2003). "Solanum laciniatum". Growing Native Plants. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
^Bunce, Daniel Travels with Dr. Leichhardt,(1859), London
Bushtomatoes are the fruit or entire plants of certain nightshade (Solanum) species native to the more arid parts of Australia. While they are quite...
The tomato (/təmeɪtoʊ/ or /təmɑːtoʊ/) is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated...
Victorian eel farms and South Australian plantations of quandongs, bushtomatoes, and native citrus. In 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland...
Solanum scalarium, known as the Garrarnawun bushtomato, is a species of plant native to the Garrarnawun Lookout in Judbarra/Gregory National Park, Australia...
quadriloculatum is known under the (ambiguous) common names of "bushtomato" or (in Australia) "wild tomato". It is a small fruiting shrub in the family Solanaceae...
is a plant native to the more arid parts of Australia. Like other "bushtomatoes", it has been used as a food source by Central Australia and Aboriginal...
Bush. Sophia Bush on X Sophia Bush on Instagram Sophia Bush at IMDb Sophia Bush at the TCM Movie Database Sophia Bush at Rotten Tomatoes Sophia Bush...
Solanum ellipticum is known as potato bush and under the more ambiguous name of "bushtomato". The Arrernte name of merne awele-awele might refer to this...
Solanum chippendalei (common names - solanum, bushtomato, ngaru, Chippendale's tomato) is a small fruiting shrub in the family Solanaceae, native to northern...
bush.tomato S V O Tuju-lu-pula-jananya pulturr-pu-ngu pura woman-ERG-3DU.SBJ-3PL.OBJ thread-hit-PST bush.tomato 'The women threaded the bushtomatoes...
Station were burnt out. The rare and sexually fluid bushtomato Solanum plastisexum ("Dungowan bushtomato") grows nearby. List of ranches and stations "Dungowan"...
experiments for its distinct features. Celebrity tomato plants are semi-determinate and grow in bush-like formation with compound Regular Leaves (RL)...
Bheem Bush: A whacky ghost story that assaults your senses". Deccan Chronicle. 22 March 2024. Om Bheem Bush at IMDb Om Bheem Bush at Rotten Tomatoes Portals:...
Clokey's nightshade, "wild tomato" (including S. clokeyi) Solanum warmingii Hiern Solanum watneyi Chris Martine — Australian bushtomato, named after fictional...
location in full sun. Though related to food plants like the potato and tomato, all parts of the plant are considered toxic to humans. It has been given...
and Canada. In 1904, A.J. (Andrew Jackson) Bush entered a partnership with the Stokely family to open a tomato cannery in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee. His...
second theme involves circular shapes, used to symbolise bushtomato (Solanum chippendalei), bush melon, and northern wild orange (Capparis umbonata), among...
at IMDb Billy Green Bush at the TCM Movie Database Billy Green Bush at AllMovie Billy Green Bush at Rotten Tomatoes Wm. Green Bush at the University of...
species are cultivated. The typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like a sweet, tangy grape in flavor. Some species, such...
in any form, sources of water; water, rain, clouds Arne trees, shrubs, bushes, woody plants, some grasses Ure fire, things to do with fire. In the Top...