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The bush banana is a climbing woody vine found growing on other shrubs and
trees, and often difficult to see among the trees own leaves. The bush banana
has creamy flowers, and thick narrow leaves that grow from a short stalk. The
fruiting pod is pear-shaped, hence its other common names. An important
Aboriginal food, the sweet flower and young fruits are eaten raw, being the most
favoured parts of the plant. The seeds are also lightly roasted for consumption
When the seed matures, it consists mainly of bitter seeds and their plumes. The
seeds are discarded and only the thick outer rind eaten. The young leaves are
also eaten, whilst the older leaves are eaten after being steamed. Even the
roots are eaten during times of food shortage. The only parts not eaten are the
stems and fine roots.
The Bush Banana is a totemic plant that often features in Aboriginal
mythology and can be found in many Aboriginal paintings.
The plant was originally named Marsdenia australia. Marsdenia,
after William Marsden, 1754-1836, the Irish orientalist and numismatist.; australis
comes from the Latin meaning southern. |
