Page:Aboriginesofvictoria01.djvu/295

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FOOD.
213

2. Roots of various liliaceous small plants, for instance, of Arthropodium paniculatum, A. strictum, Cæsia vittata, Bulbine bulbosa, Anguillaria Australis, Burchardia umbellata, Thrysanotus tuberosus, T. Patersoni. I am not certain whether these were used by the Aborigines always in a raw state.

3. Tuberous roots of Geranium dissectum, var. pilosum; also of Scirpus maritimus, Microseris Forsteri, of two bulrushes (Typha Muelleri and T. Brownii), of Triglochin procerum.

4. Young shoots, bases of leaves, and young flower-stalk and spike of the grass-tree (Xanthorrhœa Australis).

5. Fruits of Solanum vescum (the Gunyang of our natives); fruits of many Epacrideæ (although always small), of the genus Styphelia and its allies; also of Kunzea pomifera.

6. Fruits of two kinds of raspberry (Rubus parvifolius and the rarer R. rosifolius); also of Eugenia Smithii and of several species of Persoonia.

7. Seeds of the native millets (species of Panicum), particularly P. decompositum.

8. Leaves of the Nasturtium terrestre, and several species of Cardamine and Lepidium, for cress.

9. Fruits of Mesembryanthemum æquilaterale (so-called ' pig-face '), raw, also the leaves baked.

10. The mucilaginous seed of the native flax (Linum marginale).

11. Leaves of the clover-sorrel (Oxalis corniculata).

12. Gum of the wattle-acacias (Acacia decurrens, A. pycnantha); also of several other species of this genus; also of Pittosporum phillyroides.

13. Berries of the native elders (Sambucus Gaudichaudiana and S. xanthocarpa); also of Rhagodias.

14. Honey-like secretion from the flowers of Banksias, or so-called native honeysuckles (Banksia marginata, B. integrifolia, B. serrata, B. Cunninghami).

15. Fruit basis of the so-called native cherry-trees (Exocarpus cupressiformis, E. stricta, E. aphylla); also fruits of the allied genus Leptomeria.

16. The quandang, fruit of Santalum Preissianum; also the desert Nitraria.

17. The sweet flowers of several species of Xerotes, and the milky unripe fruit of Marsdenia Leichhardti.

18. The young top shoots of the cabbage-palm (Livistonia Australis); but the value of this esculent was not known to the natives in their uncivilized state.

19. The large native truffle (Mylitta Australis).

20. The seeds of the Portulaca oleracea (the Purslane). These can be gathered by a blackfellow to the extent of many pounds weight in a day; and they can be baked into nutritious cakes, infinitely superior to cakes made of nardoo flour. The plant is pulled up, the sand and earth shaken off, and it is then placed on bark or on kangaroo skins. Soon the lid-like upper parts of the seed-vessel spring off by contraction whilst drying, the numerous though