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Also known as Bush Tomato, Solanum
diversiflorum grows in the far-north and west of the Central Australia
region. It is a grey coloured shrubs that grows to about 50 cm with
prickles on the stem and leaves. It has purple flowers and deeply lobed
leaves. When ripe the fruit is pale yellow with black seeds surrounded
by pulp. The fruit is cooked in ashes, the seeds removed and the flesh
eaten. The plan itself is usually found as a
small rounded, prickly shrub (250 to 500 mm high and wide) and occurs
naturally in Central Australia (SA, WA and NT), usually in areas of 150
to 300 mm rainfall, and generally on red sandy soils. Although the plant
has also been found growing on heavier textured soils in some locations.
The leaves are a grey-green to green leaves, usually covered with fine
silvery or rust coloured hairs, producing pink to purple flowers,
similar in shape to the standard tomato plant. The plant can be found
flowering during spring, summer and autumn.
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