Wildflowers of Kakadu: A Guide to the wildflowers of Kakadu National Park and the Top End of the Northern Territory

AUSTRALIAN FLORA Aboriginal Northern Territory

Includes Platysace arnhemica – associated by Aboriginal people with important, ‘big’ stories and is called the ‘devil-devil’ tree p. 19; Hibbertia sp. – dried stems used as fire sticks by Aboriginal people in the region p. 20; Orange Pea Bush – Tephrosia sp. – leaves used by Aboriginal people as a fish poison p. 21; Hoya australis – broken stems exude a milky latex which was used by Aboriginal people in the preparation of ceremonial paints p. 24; Allosyncarpia ternata – native bees nest in their termite-hollowed branches and the sickly sweet honey that they make, known as ‘sugar bag’, was a prized food for local Aboriginal groups p. 30; Dysoxylon oppositifolium – from its hard wood, Aboriginal men made fighting sticks p. 38; Curcuma australasica – has an underground tuber that was only eaten by Aboriginal people when nothing else could be found p. 41; seasonal burning by the traditional Aboriginal people in the region has been a part of the landscape for thousands of years p. 46; Kapok Bush – Cochlospermum fraseri – roots of young trees are edible but were only eaten by Aboriginal people between September and December p. 47; Darwin Woolly-butt – Eucalyptus miniata – for aboriginal people was a ‘calendar’ plant when the commencement of their flowering marked the beginning of the ‘wurrgeng’ season, the cold dry season when burning was carried out p. 49; Darwin Stringy-bark – Eucalyptus tetrodonta – was once an important resource for Aboriginal people, its thick fibrous bark was removed in large sheets for making wet season shelters and fishing canoes, stems hollowed by termites were shaped into drone pipes, and its slender upper branches into spears, the bark is still used commonly today for bark paintings p. 51; Cooktown Ironwood – Erythrophleum chlorostachys – is noted for its hardness and resistance to termite attack, and Aboriginal people used it for spear heads and for ‘clap sticks’, the dark gum extracted from its roots was used as an adhesive p. 52; Kurrajong – Brachychiton diversifolius – the smooth pliable bark from young trees is used by Aboriginal women to make ‘bush string’ the raw material for baskets and bags p. 53; Kurrajong – Brachychiton paradoxum – the smooth bark is woven by Aboriginal women into string to make dilly bags p. 53; Bush Currant – Vitex glabrata – black grapes are popular and palatable ‘bush tucker’ p. 54; Green Plum Tree – Buchanania obovata – produces green grape sized ‘plums’ which are amongst the most palatable of all ‘bush tucker’ p. 56; Acacia gonocarpa – foliage is used by Aboriginal people as a herb placed into the body cavity of game such as kangaroo before cooking p. 58; Rough-leafed Bloodwood – Eucalyptus setosa – termite-hollowed stems are cut by Aboriginal people for use as didgeridoos or drone pipes p. 61; Swamp Banksia – Banksia dentata – flower heads were harvested by Aboriginal people for their nectar while old dry seed heads, able to smoulder for a long time, were used to carry fire between camps p. 62; Arda Cartonema aff. spicatum – underground tuber described by Aboriginal people as a ‘bush carrot’ p. 65; Striga curviflora – dried leaves used as a type of tobacco by Aboriginal men p. 66; Haemodorum corymbosum – from its stems and flowers Aboriginal women extracted a red dye used for colouring ‘bush string’ for baskets and dilly bags p. 67; Medicine Bean – Vigna vexillata – once eaten by Aboriginal people as a treatment for diahorrea p. 67; Ipomoea abrupta – underground tubers were eaten by Aboriginal people after sometimes elaborate preparation p. 69; Slender Bindweed – Ipmoea gracilis – underground tuber, although edible, is regarded by Aboriginal people as ‘not too good’ p. 73; Silver-leafed Paperbark – Melaleuca argentea – soft papery bark was harvested by Aboriginal people for use as roofing material for shelters p. 78; Itchy Tree – Barringtonia acutangular – bark and leaves used as a fish poison by Aboriginal people p. 80; Liniment Tree – Melaleuca symphyocarpa – leaves.

• 127 p. : col. ill., map ; 17 x 23 cm. #100424
• Wild flowers — Northern Territory — Kakadu National Park — Identification
• Wild flowers — Northern Territory — Identification
• Literature and stories – Non indigenous
• Plants
• Indigenous knowledge – Health and medicine
• Literature and stories – Non fiction – Scientific and professional
• Food – Bush tucker
• Northern Territory (NT)
• Australia
• Kakadu National Park (NT SD53-01, SD53-05)