Solanum quadriloculatum
| Tomato bush | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Species: | S. quadriloculatum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Solanum quadriloculatum | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Solanum ellipticum var. duribaccalis J.M.Black | |
Solanum quadriloculatum commonly known as tomato bush or wild tomato,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is an upright perennial with hairy, grey-green thick leaves and purple flowers and grows on mainland Australia with the exception of Victoria.
Description
Solanum quadriloculatum is an upright or spreading shrub to 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high, leaves thick, grey-green or yellowish-green, densely covered in star-shaped hairs, occasionally rough, prickly, elliptic to oval-shaped, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) long, 1.5–5 cm (0.59–1.97 in) wide, margins entire or slightly wavy on a petiole 1–4 cm (0.39–1.57 in) long. The purple flowers are borne in groups of 2-3, 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) wide, 5 lobed, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long, mostly star-shaped and peduncle 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long. Flowering occurs from early autumn to spring and the fruit is a brownish-yellow berry 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) in diameter.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming
Solanum quadriloculatum was first formally described in 1861 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[4][5]The specific epithet (quadriloculatum) means '4 celled'.[6]
Distribution and habitat
Tomato bush grows along disturbed roadways, clay, loam soils and dry locations that are seasonally flooded in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.[2][3]
References
- ^ "Solanum quadriloculatum". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Conn, B.J. "Solanum quadriloculatum". PlantNET-New South Wales Flora online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ a b Kutsche, Frank; Lay, Brendan; Croft, Tim; Kellermann, Jurgen (2013). Plants of Outback South Australia. Adelaide: State Herbarium of South Australia. p. 218. ISBN 9781922027603.
- ^ "Solanum quadriloculatum". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1861). Fragmenta Photographie Australiae (2 (16) ed.). Melbourne. p. 161.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 298. ISBN 9780958034197.