Common Name:

General Information

Solanum centrale is an erect to sprawling, spiny herbaceous perennial plant, producing stems usually 20 - 40cm long, but sometimes up to 100cm long, from a perennial rootstock. The stems can become more or less woody[, ]. The plant often forms suckers[].
The fruits are harvested from the wild for local use and for use in cosmetics. One of the most delicious and popular of the Australian wild fruits, they are being cultivated on a small scale in Australia for marketing as 'bush tucker'[, ].

Known Hazards

The unripe fruit is toxic[].
Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia.

Habitat

Arid, sandy desert areas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier parts of the subtropics and tropics of Australia.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Small quantities can be eaten fresh[]. The dried, shrivelled fruits have a rich, spicy, aromatic flavour[, ]. The dried fruits can be ground into a powder or preserved in oil[]. After rubbing in the native red sand, they are said to taste more like raisins[]. They are excellent in sauces, chutneys, relishes, jams and salsas[]. Traditionally, the fruits are gathered by the Aborigines, processed, dried and stored as staple foods[]. The drab green, then yellowish, globose fruits are 10 - 15mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in trays in a nursery. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on fast. Plant them out when 10cm or more tall.
Division of the stems..

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