Bush tomato ( Certain Solanum )

Fruit Warehouse | Bush tomato ( Certain Solanum ) | Bush tomato plants are small shrubs Whose growth is encouraged by fire and disturbance. The fruit of a number of species have been used as food sources by Aboriginal people in the drier areas of Australia. The term refers to the bush tomato fruit or entire plants of Certain nightshade (Solanum) species native to the more arid parts of Australia. There are 94 (mostly perennial) natives and 31 (mostly annual) introduced species in Australia. A number of Solanum species contain significant levels of solanine and as Such are highly poisonous.

Aborigines eat the fruit of S. centrale raw or put it on the hot earth by the fire, sprinkle some water on the fruits and cover them up to cook them. S. diversiflorum is roasted before being eaten or dried.

Fruit of S.orbiculatum is edible, but the fruit of the large leafed form may be bitter. S. ellipticum and / or S. quadriloculatum are called merne Awele-Awele, S. cleistogamum is'merne mwanyerne, and S. centrale is merne akatyerre. The Arrernte merne term means "fruit or nut".