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Title
Ethnobotany of Warrilyu (Eucalyptus pachyphylla F.Muell. [Myrtaceae]): Aboriginal Seed Food of the Gibson Desert, Western Australia
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008:
Author(s)
Publication Date
2019-09-16
Abstract
<p>This paper reports on the ethnobotany of <i>Eucalyptus pachyphylla</i> F.Muell. (Myrtaceae) (Pintupi name warrilyu), an understudied <i>Eucalyptus</i> species with a distribution largely restricted to the Gibson Desert region of Western Australia and the southern Northern Territory. Seeds of this and certain other <i>Eucalyptus</i> species were traditionally consumed as uncooked “seed pastes” by desert Aboriginal peoples (Cane 1987; Gillen 2017; Johnstone and Cleland 1943; Latz 2018; Roth 1897; Walsh and Douglas 2011). However, unfortunately, as with many other arid zone seed foods that were utilized intermittently depending on seasonal availability, there seems to be little or no written record of the specific techniques used to process <i>E. pachyphylla</i> seeds. Moreover, the nutritional status of the seeds is unknown. Here, we provide an ethnographic account of the harvesting and processing of <i>E. pachyphylla</i> seeds and present empirical data on seed collection rates and the nutritional value of processed seed flour. In our discussion, we highlight the importance of <i>E. pachyphylla</i> seed in the traditional economy of Gibson Desert people and consider the possibility/feasibility of seed harvest for commercial purposes.</p>
Publication Type
Journal Article
Source of Publication
Economic Botany, 73(3), p. 416-422
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Place of Publication
United States of America
ISSN
1874-9364
0013-0001
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020
Peer Reviewed
Yes
HERDC Category Description
Peer Reviewed
Yes
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