Bush tomato

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Bush tomato
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Solanum Species: S. ellipticum S. centrale S. cleistogarnum
Binomial name
Solanum ellipticum Solanum centrale Solanum cleistogarnum J.M.Black

Bush tomato (Solanum ellipticum or Solanum quadriloculatum, Solanum cleistogarnum and Solanum centrale) are plants native to the more arid parts of Australia. They have been used as food sources by Central Australian Aboriginal people for many thousands of years. Along with the desert raisin and two other species, they are the only known edible varieties of Solanums in Australia, with over 100 inedible species.

In the Central Australian language of Arrernte they are called Merne awele-awele (S. ellipticum), Merne mwanyerne (S. cleistogamum) and Merne akatyerre (S. centrale).

Bush tomato is a small fast-growing shrub that fruits prolifically the year after fire or good rains.

S. ellipticum (S. quadriloculatum) is a waxy looking plant that grows next to creeks. It has a pungent smell and can be smelled from some distance when the fruit is ripe.

S. cleistogamum turns yellow when ripe, and sometimes purple. The fruit is hard and green when unripe. Again, they have a pungent fragrance when ripe.

Aborigines eat them raw or put them on the hot earth by the fire, sprinkle some water on them and cover them up to cook them. Mardu people would skewer them and dry them so the food was readily transportable. In Mardu they are known as Wamurla, while the Warlpiri know them as Wanakiji.

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