''Solanum esuriale'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of perennial herbaceous plant native to Australia.

Other names

Most commonly called quena (may also be spelled quenna), ''S. esuriale'' is often grouped with bush tomatoes. However, it should not be confused with '' S. centrale'', which is produced commercially under this name. It is also sometimes referred to as potato weed, or potato bush. In the language of the Yuwaalaraay people of north-western

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, quena is called bulumburr. In Nyangumarta, the traditional owners of a region of north

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, the plant is known as jinyjiwirrily.

Description

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 An oblong is a non-square rectangle. Oblong may also refer to: Places * Oblong, Illinois, a village in the United States * Oblong Township, Crawford County, Illinois, United States * A strip of land on the New York-Connecticut border in the Unit ...

or oblong-

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

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. 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. Seeds are 2–3 mm long, pale yellow-brown. 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. 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.

Distribution and habitat

''Solanum esuriale'' has been located across the Australian mainland, with distribution primarily within arid zones of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, New South Wales,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

. It is typically found in sandy soils near creek beds and pools of water, 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 ''Acacia cambagei'', commonly known as gidgee, stinking wattle, stinking gidgee in English, or gidjiirr, by transliteration from indigenous languages of north-western NSW, is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found primarily in semiarid and ...

'') communities. 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 Pioneer species are hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by wildfire. Pioneer flora Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, so ...

Ecology

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 Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur o ...

and birds, including

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

. Lizards are less likely to be dispersers as the berry is firm, which is generally less attractive to lizard species.

Uses

Culinary

As with other bush tomatoes, ''S. esuriale'' is traditionally a valuable food source for

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

; 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.

Agriculture

Sheep are known to readily eat the fruits, but the remainder of the plant is considered unpalatable herbage. 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. The eggfruit caterpillar ('' Leucinodes cordalis''), a common agricultural pest, are known to eat the fruit.

Skincare

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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17400720 esuriale