''Leichhardtia australis'', commonly known as the bush banana, silky pear or green vine is an Australian native plant. It is found in

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...

and throughout Western Australia. It is a bush tucker food used by Indigenous Australians.Peter Kenneth Latz, Jenny Green, "Bushfires & Bushtucker: Aboriginal Plant Use in Central Australia", IAD Press, 1995, ''L. australis'' has many different names in Aboriginal languages. In the Arrernte language of Central Australia; ''merne alangkwe'' (older transcription: ''elonka''), ''merne ulkantyerrknge'' (the flowers) and ''merne altyeye'' (the prefix ''merne'' signifies plant food). In Karrajari, Nyulnyul and Yawuru it is called Magabala'''. The Walmajarri people call it ''Kurlipi''. The small fruits are called ''amwerterrpe''.

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

and

Karlkurla Karlkurla is a locality in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. It is a suburb of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. At the 2016 census, Karlkurla had a population of 177 people, up from 42 in 2011. The names of Karlkurla and Kalgoorlie are deriv ...

(one of its suburbs) both take their names from a

Wangai Wangkatha, otherwise written Wongatha, Wongutha, Wankatja, Wongi or Wangai, is a language and the identity of eight Aboriginal Australian peoples of the Eastern Goldfields region. The Wangkatja language groups cover the following towns: Coolgar ...

word meaning "place of the silky pears".

Edibility

All parts of the bush banana plant are still eaten in the desert region by indigenous communities today. The flowers hang in clusters and can also be eaten raw, as can the main part of the plant (''altyeye'' in Arrernte). Some people suck the nectar from the flowers as a source of food, while others use it as a garnish. Bush bananas are cooked in hot earth beside the fire or eaten raw when young (the flavour has been likened to fresh peas or zucchini). The root of the plant is called ''Merne atnetye'' and can also be eaten raw or cooked. The very white roots are cooked in the hot earth close to the fire. Young leaves can be used in salads. One of the significant bush food for the

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

people of Australia, the food is often depicted in current Aboriginal art, especially paintings about 'bush tucker', as well as 'Bush Banana Dreaming' paintings.Aboriginal Symbols
Bush Banana - Indigenous Australia - Iconography and Symbols
/ref> Marsdenia fruit

Footnotes

External links

Alice Springs Town CouncilWA Government
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1017295 Eudicots of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Bushfood Australian Aboriginal bushcraft Crops originating from Australia Desert fruits Drought-tolerant plants Gentianales of Australia Plants described in 1849