Solanum esuriale

Lindley

Quena, Tomato bush

Solanaceae Edible: Fruit 453 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Solanum esuriale is a species of perennial herbaceous plant native to Australia.

Description

A low sprawling under shrub. It grows 10-45 cm high. The flowers are purple and blue. The fruit is a 2 celled yellow berry. This later becomes covered by a calyx. The fruiting stalks are long and slender.

Edible Uses

As with other bush tomatoes, S. esuriale is traditionally a valuable food source for Indigenous Australians; the term "esu'riale" has been used to describe "appeasing hunger" in specific reference to the fruits of the quena. Preparation for eating is uncertain, but likely to be similar to other Solanum species, with the fruit eaten fresh, dried, or cooked; the seeds may or may not need to be removed prior to eating. The fruit is reportedly sweet.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It can grow in arid places. It grows in central Queensland.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia*, India,

Notes

There are about 1400 Solanum species.

Also Known As

Puddaddee

References (18)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 580
Cancilla, D., 2018, Ethnobotanical and Ethnozoological Values Desktop Assessment - Eliwana Project. p 45
Cherikoff V. & Isaacs, J., The Bush Food Handbook. How to gather, grow, process and cook Australian Wild Foods. Ti Tree Press, Australia p 120, 191
Cribb, A.B. & J.W., 1976, Wild Food in Australia, Fontana. p 75
Gott, B & Conran, J., 1991, Victorian Koorie Plants. PO Box 666 Hamilton, Victoria 3300, Australia. p 37

Show all 18 references

Hunter, J., 2012, Vegetation and Floristics of Gilwarny and Wingadee Nature Reserves. A Report to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service p 121
Hunter, J.T., 2017, Is there a relationship between contemporary high Aboriginal plant resource locations and mapped vegetation communities? Cunninghamia 17:27-34. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. ISSN 2200 - 405X
Kenneally, K.E., Edinger, D. C., and Willing T., 1996, Broome and Beyond, Plants and People of the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management. p 187
Lamp, C & Collet F., 1989, Field Guide to Weeds in Australia. Inkata Press. p 275
Latz, P.K., 1996, Bushfires and Bushtucker: Aboriginal plant use in Central Australia. IAD Press Alice Springs p 278
Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 222
Morley, B.D., & Toelken, H.R., (Eds), 1983, Flowering Plants in Australia. Rigby. p 266
NYBG Herbarium "edible"
Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Calatogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 537
Samuels, J., 2015, Biodiversity of Food Species of the Solanaceae Family: A Preliminary Taxonomic Inventory of Subfamily Solanoideae. Resources 2015, 4. 277-322
Stanley, T. D. & Ross, E. M., 1986, Flora of south-eastern Queensland Volume 2. Queensland Government p 416
Urban, A., 1990, Wildflowers of Inland Australia. Portside editions. p 169
Wheeler, J.R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 730