{{about|the Australian plants and fruits|bush tomato plants, the determinate varieties of standard tomatoes|List of tomato cultivars}} {{short description|Solanum species native to Australia}} [[File:Solanum lithophilum flower and fruit.jpg|thumb|250px|Bush tomato (fruit)]] [[File:Australian bush tomato plant.jpg|thumb|250px|Bush tomato plant]] '''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 [[tomato]]es (''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.<ref name="moore">Moore, Philip ''A Guide to Plants of Inland Australia'' (2005), Reed New Holland, Sydney, {{ISBN|1-876334-86-X}}</ref>
Bush tomato plants are small [[shrub]]s whose growth is encouraged by fire and disturbance.<ref name=moore/>
The fruit of a number of species have been used as food sources by [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people in the drier areas of [[Australia]].<ref name=moore/>
A number of ''[[Solanum]]'' species contain significant levels of [[solanine]] and as such are highly poisonous.<ref name=moore/> 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.{{cn|date=October 2023}}
Some of the edible species are: * ''[[Solanum aviculare]]'' kangaroo apple<ref name="robinson">Robinson, Les ''Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney'' (1991), Kangaroo Press, Pymble, NSW. 3rd Edition, {{ISBN|0-7318-1211-5}}</ref> * ''[[Solanum centrale]]'', also known as desert raisin,<ref name=moore/> bush raisin or bush sultana, or by the native name ''kutjera'' * ''[[Solanum chippendalei]]'' bush tomato, named after taxonomic botanist [[George Chippendale]]<ref name=moore/> * ''[[Solanum diversiflorum]]'' bush tomato, karlumbu, pilirta, wamurla<ref name=moore/> * ''[[Solanum ellipticum]]'' potato bush, very similar to ''[[Solanum quadriloculatum]]'' which is poisonous.<ref name=moore/> * ''[[Solanum laciniatum]]'' kangaroo apple.<ref>{{cite web|last=Donaldson|first=Stuart|title=Solanum laciniatum|url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp12/solanum-laciniatum.html|work=Growing Native Plants|publisher=Australian National Botanic Gardens|access-date=28 June 2012|date=16 December 2003}}</ref> * ''[[Solanum orbiculatum]]'' round-leaved solanum<ref name=moore/> * ''[[Solanum phlomoides]]'' wild tomato.<ref name=moore/>
In 1859, Aboriginal people were observed burning off the outer skin of ''S. aviculare'' as the raw state would blister their mouths.<ref name="bunce">Bunce, Daniel ''Travels with Dr. Leichhardt'',(1859), London</ref> ''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.<ref name=moore/> ''S. diversiflorum'' is roasted before being eaten or dried.<ref name=moore/> Fruit of ''S.orbiculatum'' is edible, but the fruit of the large leafed form may be bitter.<ref name=moore/> Fruit of ''S. phlomoides'' appears to be edible after the removal of seeds and roasting or sundrying.<ref name=moore/>
''Solanum aviculare'' contains [[solasodine]], a steroid used in the manufacture of oral contraceptives.<ref name=robinson/> ''[[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.
== References == {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Solanales of Australia]] [[Category:Solanum]] [[Category:Bushfood]] [[Category:Australian Aboriginal bushcraft]] [[Category:Edible fruits]] [[Category:Edible Solanaceae]] [[Category:Plant common names]] [[Category:Fruits originating in Australia]]