Bush tomato facts for kids
Bush tomatoes are special plants found in the dry parts of Australia. They are related to the regular tomatoes you might eat, but they are even closer to eggplants! These plants are part of a big family called Solanum, also known as nightshades. Many different types of bush tomatoes grow in Australia. Some are native, meaning they have always been there, while others were brought from other places.
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What Are Bush Tomatoes?
Bush tomatoes are usually small shrubs. They grow well in areas that have had fires or other disturbances, like when the ground is cleared. These plants are very important to Aboriginal people, who have used the fruit of many species as a food source for a very long time, especially in the dry parts of Australia.
Are All Bush Tomatoes Safe to Eat?
This is very important to know: not all Solanum plants are safe to eat! Many species in this family contain a substance called solanine, which can be very poisonous. Because it can be hard to tell the difference between safe and unsafe bush tomato plants, it is strongly recommended that you do not try to eat them unless you are with someone who knows exactly which ones are safe. Always be careful!
Edible Bush Tomato Species
Even though some are dangerous, many types of bush tomatoes are safe and tasty! Here are some of the edible species:
- Solanum aviculare is also known as kangaroo apple.
- Solanum centrale is often called desert raisin, bush raisin, or bush sultana. Its native name is kutjera.
- Solanum chippendalei is a bush tomato named after a botanist, George Chippendale.
- Solanum diversiflorum is another bush tomato, also known by native names like karlumbu, pilirta, or wamurla.
- Solanum ellipticum is called potato bush. Be careful, as it looks very similar to Solanum quadriloculatum, which is poisonous.
- Solanum laciniatum is another type of kangaroo apple.
- Solanum orbiculatum is known as round-leaved solanum.
- Solanum phlomoides is sometimes called wild tomato.
How Were Bush Tomatoes Traditionally Eaten?
Aboriginal people have special ways of preparing bush tomatoes to make them safe and delicious.
- In 1859, people saw Aboriginal communities burning the outer skin of S. aviculare. This was because eating it raw could make their mouths blister.
- For S. chippendalei, people would split the fruit, scrape out the middle, and only eat the outer flesh. The seeds and the part around them are bitter.
- S. diversiflorum was often roasted before being eaten or dried for later.
- The fruit of S. orbiculatum is edible, but the fruit from plants with larger leaves might taste bitter.
- S. phlomoides fruit seems to be edible after the seeds are removed and it is roasted or dried in the sun.
A Unique Plant: Solanum plastisexum
In 2019, a very rare and interesting species called Solanum plastisexum was discovered. This plant is special because it doesn't have a stable way of reproducing. It can change how it reproduces, which is quite unusual in the plant world!
