The term bush tomato refers to 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.
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. They have a very strong flavor and scent when ripe and fresh, so that one can actually smell a richly fruiting specimen from quite a distance.
A number of Solanum species contain significant levels of solanine and as such are highly poisonous. 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.
Some of the edible species are:
Solanum aviculare Kangaroo Apple
Solanum centrale, also known as Desert Raisin, Bush Raisin or Bush Sultana, or by the native name kutjera
Solanum chippendalei Bush Tomato, Named after taxonomic botanist George Chippendale
Solanum coactiliferum Aborigines roasted the fruit before eating.
Solanum diversiflorum Bush Tomato, Karlumbu, Pilirta, Wamurla
Solanum ellipticum Potato Bush, Very similar to S. quadriliculatum which is poisonous.
