15.
A L i s t o f som e o f th e E s c u le n t P la n t s o f A u s tr a lia .
I n th e cou v se o f r ea d in g preparatoi7 to u n d e r ta k in g th is E s sa y , I fou n d s c a tte r ed n o tic e s o f
ed ib le a n d o th e r p la n ts , w h ic h I th o u g h t m ig h t b e w o r th h r in g in g to g e th e r , and th u s fo rm th e
sk e le to n o f a n A u s tr a lia n ‘ F lo r a Cihai-ia,’ fo r th e u s e o f fu tu r e in q u ir er s. I t is e x t r em e ly m c om p le te
a s au e x p o s itio n o f th e u se s t o m a n o f th e A u s tr a lia n F lo r a , b o th b e c a u se i t om its m a n y p la n ts th a t
h a v e e scap ed m y n o tic e or m em o r y , m o r e th a t I k n ow n o th in g of, an d p erh ap s a s t ill g r e a te r n um b e r
th a t c om e u n d e r th e c a te g o r y o f b e in g " e a ta b le b u t n o t w o r th e a tin g .” I h a v e n o t a llu d ed to
p h a rm a c eu tic a l p la n t s : su c h m a y e x is t, a n d m u ltitu d e s o f th e w e ed s, se ed s, and ro o ts o f A u s tr a lia
w ill n o d o u b t en jo y a m o r e o r le s s su b s ta n tia l r ep u ta tio n a s d ru g s, for a pe r iod , an d th e n be c o n sig
n ed to o b liv io n . T h is i s th e p h a rm a c eu tic a l h is to r y o f th e p la n ts o f all c o u n tr ie s th a t h a v e b een
lo n g in h a b ite d b y c ir iU z ed m a n , a n d A u s t r a lia w ill fo rm n o e x c e p tio n t o th em . T h e fa c t b e in g , th a t
o f th e m u lt itu d e o f n am e s o f p la n ts th a t appear in P h a rm a cop o sia s, th e n um b e r o f r e a lly a c tiv e and
u s e fu l p la n ts , k n ow n t o b e su ch , i s e x t r em e ly sm a ll.
I h a v e b e en g r e a t ly in d eb ted t o B a ck h o u s e ’s N o t e s o n th e E d ib le P la n ts o f T a sm a n ia (R o ss,
■ H o b a r to u A lm a n a c k ’) , an d to G u n n ’s an d MneUe r’s v a r io u s w r itin g s, for m u ch o f th e fo llow in g
in fo rm a tio n .
lerma moschata. Ba rk u sed as t e a iu Tasmania.
Tasmania aromatica. “ P ep p e r -tr e e .” D ru p e used as condiment.
Cardamine hir suta. T his and o th e r spec ie s afford ex c e llen t p ot-herbs w h en lu xu r ian t and flaccid.
N a stu r tium te rr e stre . D itto .
Nympbæa g igau tea, and another sp e c ie s. R o o ts and fru it eaten.
N e lum b ium sp e c iosum . Se ed s ea ten raw, and roasted as coffee.
H ib iscu s, a llied to heterophyUus ? Y ie ld s a sorrel.
B illardiera mutabilis. Be r ries acid aud pleasant.
Pittosp orum acacioides. Y ie ld s an ex c e llen t gum.
V it is sp . Tubers and fru its eaten.
Meliaceæ. Various spec ie s o f T r ic h ilia ? bear acidulous drupes.
■Wallrothiæ sp. F r u it edible.
Triphasia glauca. A smaU lemon, M u e lle r.
Oxalidis sp. L eaves acid (sor re l).
Geranii spp. parviflorum, and others. R o o ts ea ten b y Native s.
A d an son ia Gregorii. D ry , acidulous pulp o f fru it eaten.
Bombax. "Wood u sed for boats.
Bra ch y ch iton sp. W o o d fu ll o f muc ilage ; seed s eatable, and make a good beverage.
Coræa alba. Cape B a rr en Tea.
Castanospermum edule. Mo r e ton Bay Chesnut.
Acacia. Var ious sp e c ie s yie ld ex c e llen t ea tin g gum, as A . mollissvma, o f which th e gum is soft
and sweet.
Acacia Sopboræ. Seed s ea ten b y n a tiv e s o f T asmania. “ Boobyalla.”
Acacia pendula. M y a ll, c a ttle are fed on it s leaves, M itch e ll.
Erythrina. W o o d u sed for sh ie ld s and boats.
Canavalia Baueriana. The Mack en z ie Bean.
Trigonella suavissima. E x c e llen t spinach, M itch e ll.
R ubus Gunnianus. Tlie b e s t na tiv e fru it in Tasmania.
Parinarium. The N o n d a fru it o f Leichardt, M u e lle r.
Terminalia. F ru it ea ten ; gum also eaten.
Jambosa eu ca lyp to id e s? E ose-apple .
Leptospermum. Leave s o f various spec ie s used for tea.
Eugeniæ sp. W h ite apple o f tropics, E a s t Australia.
Eu calyp tu s dumosa, and other s ? W a té r contained in roots : n a tiv e name, “ W e ir -m aileè .” A lso
y ie ld s a kind o f manna, called Lerp, or Laap (th e n id u s o f au in s e c t ), con sistin g o f starch.
Eu ca lyp tu s mannifera. Manna formed on leaves.
Eucaljqitus G unnii. Cider-tree o f Tasmania.
Portulaea olerácea. Pur slane ; acidulous pot-herb.
N itra r ia Biilardieri. F ru it eatable, M u e lle r.
Tetragonia expansa. N ew Zealand spinach.
Mesembryanthemum præcox. F r u it eatable, M u e lle r.
Mesembryanthemum æquüateralo. “ P ig s ’-fac es.” F le sh y fru it ea ten . “ C an ajon g” o f natives
o f Tasmania.
Sambucus Gaudiehaudiana. F ru it fleshy, sweetish.
Cueumis pubescens. F ru it abundantly eaten.
L agenaria vulgaris ? Gourds u sed for b o ttle s, etc.
Rhizophora ?, Kandelia, e tc . W o od u sed for canoes ; y ou n g shoots bea ten in to a paste and eaten.
Gardenia ed u lis. Le ichardt’s “ Br ead-tree,” M u e lle r.
Coprosma hirtella. F ru it sw e et, eatable, n o t agreeable.
Coprosma mieropbyRa and C. nitida. N a tiv e currant ; fru it good.
Sonchus asper. Stem s and roots eaten.
Microseris. R o o ts u sed roasted b y th e Na tiv e s.
Mimusops Kauki. F r u it eatable.
Maba laurina. Green, palm-like fruit, Kennedy .
Gaultheria hispida. “ W a x -e lu ste r .” F ru it eatable.
Gaultheriæ antipodæ var. F ru it o f superior flavour, Gunn.
Lissan th e sapida. F r u it eatable.
Astroloma bumifusa. “ Tasmanian Cranberry.” F ru it w ith a viscid apple-flavoured pulp.
Styp h e lia ascendens. F ru it eatable.
Leucopogon Richei, and others. F ru it eatable.
Physahs parviflora. Be rr ie s eatable.
Solanum vescum. Berries eatable and good. “ Gunyang.”
Solanum laciniatum. “ Kaugaroo-apple.” A mealy, subacid fruit.
Polygonum adpressum. “ Maequarrie Harbour V in e .” F ru it subacid, used for tarts aud preserves
; leaves ta ste o f sorrel.
Boerliaaviii acuminata. R o o t eaten.
Leptomeria acerba, L . pungens, L . acida, aud L . Biilardieri. Berries eaten ; n ative currant.
Santalum oblougatum. F ru it eaten, L eich ardt.
Santalum ])ersicarium. Root-bark u sed as food.
Santalum lauceolatum. F ru it eatable aud agreeable, Mu e ller.
F u sa iiu s acuminatus. “ (in au d on g .”
Exocarpus. F ru it o f various spec ie s edible.
A tr ip lex Halimus. Once used as a pot-herb in N ew S outh W a le s, and called “ B o tan y B ay Greens ”