Another vegetation type which is high in numbers of edible plants are the rainforests, we’ve previously talked about the Magenta Lily Pilly (Szyzigium paniculatum) and Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata)
Plum Pine, (Podocarpus elatus) (Gurra-warra – Kattang) Also known as the Illawarra Plum, it is a tree to 30m (though rarely to that height in the Hunter) and is very distinctive with with it’s seed attached to the swollen (and edible) pedicel.
Image: plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
Black Apple (Planchonella australis), A tree 8-20 metres in height with large black-purple fruits and a very distinctive elongated pointy seed. Taste is reported to be similar to Custard Apple. I’ve only ever managed to find one or two fruits which haven’t been munched on by something else either vertebrate or invertebrate.
Capparis flower
Native Caper, Native Pomegranate (Capparis arborea) (Djuguru – Kattang) A small tree or scrambling shrub related to the Mediterranean Caper (Capparis spinosa) whose pickled flower buds are available in supermarkets, the Native Caper is spiny when young with the spines much reduced or absent as the shrub matures. The plant produces a green, round fruit to around 3 cm diameter, lots of seeds but with sweet edible pulp. Plants are often defoliated by the Caper White Butterfly.
Images from plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
What’s in a name?
|
English |
Latin |
Greek |
|
foot |
-pes |
-pus, -podos |
|
fruit |
-fructa |
-carpa |
|
gold |
aurei-, aureo- |
chryso- |
|
hanging |
pendenti-, penduli |
cremasto- |
|
head |
capiti- |
cephalo- |
|
iron |
ferri- |
sidero- |
|
outside |
extra- |
ecto-, exo- |
|
seed |
semini-, |
spermato-, sporo- |
|
spotted |
guttati-, maculati-, punctati- |
sticto-, -sticta |
|
sticky |
visci-/ |
ixod- |
And some test ones, what could these names refer to?
Exocarpos cupressiformis?
Podocarpus spinulosus?
Chrysocephalum apiculatum?
Corymbia maculata?
Answers to last month’s.
Eucalyptus melanophloia? Silver Leaf Ironbark “Black Bark”
Acacia longifolia? Sydney Golden Wattle “Long Leaf”
Bursaria spinosa? Blackthorn “Spiny”
Grevillea albiflora? White Spider Flower “White flower”