| Solanum esuriale | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. esuriale |
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum esuriale | |
Solanum esuriale is a species of perennial herbaceous plant native to Australia. [1]
Most commonly called quena (may also be spelled quenna), [2] S. esuriale is often grouped with bush tomatoes. [3] However, it should not be confused with S. centrale , which is produced commercially under this name. [4] It is also sometimes referred to as potato weed, [5] or potato bush. [6]
In the language of the Yuwaalaraay people of north-western New South Wales, quena is called bulumburr. [7] In Nyangumarta, the traditional owners of a region of north Western Australia, the plant is known as jinyjiwirrily. [8]
The plant is green-grey in colour, and grows 15 to 30 cm tall with branches at or near to the ground. Unlike other Solanum species, it typically does not have prickles, but if present they will be sparse and towards the base of the plant. The plant is covered all over with dense pale stellate hairs.
The leaves are oblong or oblong-lanceolate in shape. Lower leaves are 5-8 cm long, while adult leaves are generally shorter at 3-7 cm long. Flowers appear in 2-6 cymes. Flowers are a 5-pointed star, most often purple, with 5 yellow anthers that are 3 to 5mm long. [9]
The berry is spherical or ovoid, 10 to 15mm diameter, and has a pointed base. An unripe berry is pale green, and it ripens to light yellow or brown. At no stage does the berry have stripes. [10] Seeds are 2–3 mm long, pale yellow-brown. [7]
It may be confused with many other Solanum with overlapping distributions, including western nightshade ( S. coactiliferum ), potato bush ( S. cleistogamum ), and silverleaf nightshade ( S. elaeagnifolium ); the later of these is invasive to Australia and considered a noxious weed. [10] Variation in leaf morphology of other Solanum species means differentiation is difficult outside of the summer to autumn fruiting season. The pointed based and lack of stripes on the berry are a distinguishing feature of the quena. [10]
Solanum esuriale has been located across the Australian mainland, with distribution primarily within arid zones of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. It is typically found in sandy soils near creek beds and pools of water, [10] but is also associated with other ecological communities including wooded downs (defined by dominance of Acacia cana ) and gidgee (defined by dominance of Acacia cambagei ) communities. [11]
In overgrazed regions of western Queensland, it has been found to be most dominant on cracking clay. In this region it has been identified as a pioneer species. [12]
Dispersal of the seed has not been specifically described for S. esuriale. However, as with other Solanum species, distribution is most likely through consumption of the berry by mammals and birds, including sheep. Lizards are less likely to be dispersers as the berry is firm, which is generally less attractive to lizard species. [13]
As with other bush tomatoes, S. esuriale is traditionally a valuable food source for Indigenous Australians; [3] the term "esu'riale" has been used to describe "appeasing hunger" in specific reference to the fruits of the quena. [14]
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. [3] The fruit is reportedly sweet. [8]
Sheep are known to readily eat the fruits, [15] but the remainder of the plant is considered unpalatable herbage. [12] Even when dried and powered, addition of S. esuriale leaves and stems to feed has shown limited success for ingestrion by sheep during experimental intake. Despite association, S. esuriale has not been definitively found to cause humpy back in sheep. [15]
The eggfruit caterpillar ( Leucinodes cordalis ), a common agricultural pest, are known to eat the fruit. [15]
Extract of S. esuriale, as well as extract of S. glaucophyllum , has been patented for use in topical skincare products by Johnson & Johnson as a method of treating dry skin, skin with a compromised barrier, or as an anti-aging treatment. [16]
Solanum is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, which include three food crops of high economic importance: the potato, the tomato and the eggplant. It is the largest genus in the nightshade family Solanaceae, comprising around 1,500 species. It also contains the so-called horse nettles, as well as numerous plants cultivated for their ornamental flowers and fruit.
Solanum carolinense, the Carolina horsenettle, is not a true nettle, but a member of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, native to the southeastern United States, though its range has expanded throughout much of temperate North America. The plant is an invasive in parts of Europe, Asia, and Australia. The stem and undersides of larger leaf veins are covered with prickles.
Solanum dulcamara is a species of vine in the genus Solanum of the family Solanaceae. Common names include bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, bitter nightshade, blue bindweed, Amara Dulcis, climbing nightshade, felonwort, fellenwort, felonwood, poisonberry, poisonflower, scarlet berry, snakeberry, trailing bittersweet, trailing nightshade, violet bloom, and woody nightshade.
Solanum mauritianum is a small tree or shrub native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its common names include earleaf nightshade, woolly nightshade, flannel weed, bugweed, tobacco weed, tobacco bush, wild tobacco and kerosene plant.
Solanum aviculare, commonly called poroporo or pōporo, bumurra (Dharug), kangaroo apple, pam plum (Australia), or New Zealand nightshade, is a soft-wooded shrub native to New Zealand and the east coast of Australia.
Solanum americanum, commonly known as American black nightshade, small-flowered nightshade or glossy nightshade, is a herbaceous flowering plant of wide though uncertain native range. The certain native range encompasses the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Melanesia, New Guinea, and Australia.
Solanum nigrum, the European black nightshade or simply black nightshade or blackberry nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa. Ripe berries and cooked leaves of edible strains are used as food in some locales, and plant parts are used as a traditional medicine. Some other species may also be referred to as "black nightshade".
Lycopersicon was a genus in the flowering plant family Solanaceae. It contained about 13 species in the tomato group of nightshades. First removed from the genus Solanum by Philip Miller in 1754, its removal leaves the latter genus paraphyletic, so modern botanists generally accept the names in Solanum. The name Lycopersicon is still used by gardeners, farmers, and seed companies. Collectively, the species in this group apart from the common cultivated plant are called wild tomatoes.
Bush tomatoes are 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, they might be even closer relatives of the eggplant, which they resemble in many details. There are 94 natives and 31 introduced species in Australia.
Solanum elaeagnifolium, the silverleaf nightshade or silver-leaved nightshade, is a species of plant in the nightshade family native to North and South America. It is common in parts of southwestern USA, and sometimes weed of western North America. Other common names include prairie berry, silverleaf nettle, white horsenettle or silver nightshade. In South Africa it is known as silver-leaf bitter-apple or satansbos. More ambiguous names include "bull-nettle", "horsenettle" and the Spanish "trompillo".
Solanum physalifolium, known as hoe nightshade, Argentine nightshade, green nightshade and hairy nightshade, is a species in the family Solanaceae. Native to Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, it is widely naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, western Canada and the north western United States. Solanum physalifolium has been widely but incorrectly known as Solanum sarrachoides, a different species. It has been listed as a noxious weed in the US states of Kansas and Michigan under this misapplied name.
Solanum rostratum is a species of nightshade that is native to the United States and northern and central Mexico. Common names include buffalobur nightshade, buffalo-bur, spiny nightshade, Colorado bur, Kansas thistle, bad woman, Mexican thistle, and Texas thistle.
Solanum prinophyllum, known as the forest nightshade or Grin Whiskers, is a accepted species of small plant native to the east coast of East Victoria to Southeast Queensland, Australia. S. prinophyllum is a short lived herb, annual or perennial. Forest nightshade grows up to 50 cm high. Its leaves are 5 to 8 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide. They are spiky and often tinged with purple. The stems are also spiky. Five petalled flowers occur at any time of the year and are blue or lilac in colour. Petals are fused at the base. The fruit is around 15 to 20 mm in diameter and the stem is 10 to 20 mm long. The fruit is a berry, which stays green or turns purple. The habitat is moist areas, in sclerophyll forest, or disturbed areas in rainforest.
Solanum erianthum is a species of nightshade that is native to southern North America and northern South America. It has been introduced to other parts of the world and has a nearly pantropical distribution. Common names include mullein nightshade, velvet nightshade, and salvadora. The potatoes are not the fruits of the trees, they are the leaves.
Solanum glaucophyllum is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae. It is known as waxyleaf nightshade. It is native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Gratiana boliviana is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. Its common name is tropical soda apple leaf beetle. It is native to South America, where its distribution includes Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It specializes on tropical soda apple, an invasive plant species. It has been released as an agent of biological pest control against the weedy plant in Florida and other parts of the United States.
Solanum virginianum, also called Surattense nightshade, yellow-fruit nightshade, yellow-berried nightshade, Indian nightshade,Thai green eggplant, or Thai striped eggplant, is a medicinal plant used mostly in India. Some parts of the plant, such as the fruit, are poisonous. The common name is Kantakari. Solanum surattense Burm. f. and Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. and Wendl. are synonyms of Solanum virginianum L..
The Solanaceae, or the nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many—including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell and chili peppers—are used as food. The family belongs to the order Solanales, in the asterid group and class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species, with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology.
Solanum africanum is a species of plant in the nightshade family. It is found in South Africa. This plant typically occurs near the coast up to an altitude of 200m.
Solanum petrophilum, commonly known as rock nightshade or prickly nightshade, is an Australian native perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Solanaceae. Solanaceae has a worldwide distribution and also contains important food species such as the tomato, peppers, and potatoes.