52 53

Tree

s

Sandpaper fig

Language name Unknown

Scientific name Ficus coronata

Plant location Found in the eastern and central areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, the Sandpaper Fig is often found along creeks and in rainforest, open or sheltered rocky areas.

Plant description The best way to identify the Sandpaper Fig is to feel its rough, sandpapery leaves! The fig fruit, which is 2cm long, hairy and purple-black when ripe, also makes this plant easy to pick. The leaves are glossy green, growing to 10cm long and 5cm wide, and hairy underneath. The Sandpaper Fig tree is small and straggly when compared with other types of fig tree.

Traditional use The rough girran.girraa (leaves) of the Sandpaper Fig can be used as sandpaper. Aboriginal people used this sandpaper to polish their weapons (Low 1991). From January to June, when the fruit are ripe, the figs make a tasty treat - be sure to remove the hairy skin before eating. These can be eaten raw, or some species of figs are pounded into a paste and mixed with water and honey (Stewart and Percival 1997). If you cut the young shoots of the Sandpaper Fig, milky latex will come out, which can be applied to wounds to heal them. The Sandpaper Fig provides fruit and a home for animals such as birds and bats.

Tree habit Leaves and fruit Fruit

54 55

Tree

s

Port jackson fig, Rusty fig, Rock fig

Language name Unknown

Scientific name Ficus rubiginosa

Plant location Found in the eastern and central areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, the Port Jackson Fig is often found in rainforest, in hilly rocky areas with open forest or near rivers.

Plant description Also known as the Rusty Fig, the under surface of the leaf is hairy and tinged red, while the upper leaf surface is glossy, green and hairless. The Port Jackson Fig can stay quite a small tree or can grow as high as 50m in tall rainforests. Often the trees have buttress and aerial roots. The fig fruits grow up to 2cm in diameter and are yellow, turning red when ripe. The fig fruit often grow in pairs.

Traditional use The yellow fruits of the Port Jackson Fig can be eaten raw or in a cake (Stewart and Percival 1997). As this plant - and other fig species found in the area - produces fruit in winter, it was an important food source for Aboriginal people at a time when other plant foods were rare (Hudson 2006). The wugan (wood) can be used to make shields while aerial warran (roots) can be used as twine. The large muyaan (trees) provide shade and shelter. Many wildlife species use the Port Jackson Fig, eating its fruits and living in its cracks and crevices.

Fruit Leaves and fruit Tree Habit Aerial roots

56 57

Tree

s

gurraariWhite cypress pine and Black cypress pine

Language name gurraari (gamilaraay)

gurraay (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

yiibin (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

wungala (nganyaywana)

Scientific name Callitris glaucophylla and Callitris endlicheri

Plant location Widespread and common across the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, the Cypress Pines are found in woodlands and forests.

Plant description Growing to 20 metres high, these trees often form a conical shape (like a Christmas tree). The White Cypress Pine has bluish-grey foliage and round ‘cones’ (woody receptacles holding winged fruit). The Black Cypress Pine has dark green foliage. The cone of the Black Cypress Pine has 3 deep lobes. The bark of both species is rough and furrowed.

Traditional use The dhani (resin) of the gurraari is used as glue or cementing agent. This can be used to fasten barbs to reed spears and axe-heads to handles. The long bungun (branches) can be used to make canoe poles which double as fish spears (Australian National Botanic Gardens 2010b). These muyaan (trees) are easy to set on fire which made them good firewood and they were used as torches at night time (Howell 1983). The seed of the White Cypress Tree, found in the centre of the ‘cone’, can be eaten - it has a nutty flavour (Howell 1983). Fresh needle leaves from the gurraari can be used as medicine for the treatment of sores and scabies or rubbed on the chest to stop coughing. The smoke is believed to have healing properties and when breathed over a pit in the ground it makes a person feel strong (Purcell 2002). Black pine ‘needles’

Black pine trees

White pine ‘cone’ White pine tree habit (young tree)

58 59

Tree

s

bilaarrBelah

Language name bilaarr (gamilaraay)

muurrgu/murrgu (yuwaalaraay)

Scientific name Casuarina cristata

Plant location Widespread in central and western parts of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, bilaarr (Belah) trees grow in forests and woodlands on sandplains, foothills and floodplains in low lying areas, and sometimes on hillsides in clay-loam soils.

Plant description The bilaarr is a native oak. It produces ‘cones’ (woody receptacles holding winged fruit) rather than fleshy fruit. This tree grows to 20 metres tall and has dull-olive to grey foliage. It has drooping branchlets that are green and look like segmented leaves.

Traditional use bilaarr wugan (wood) makes very good firewood and can also be used to make tools. These tools include axe handles and spears with barbs made from wood, stone or bone (Howell 1983). Many types of animal use the bilaarr muyaan (tree) for habitat and food, so these spears may also have been used to catch animals to provide meat, clothing and other implements. The word bilaarr also means Black cockatoo and these large birds are often seen eating the ‘cones’ and roosting in the bilaarr muyaan. Some Aboriginal people have the bilaarr cockatoo as their totem, which means they must look after both the bilaarr cockatoo and the bilaarr muyaan, which is so important as food and habitat (H. White & L. Taylor 2010, pers. comm.).

‘Cones’ Bark cladodes

60 61

Tree

s

murrguRiver oak, Swamp oak

Language name murrgu (gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)bilaarr (gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Casuarina cunninghamiana

Plant location Widespread throughout the eastern and central Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, murrgu trees grow along permanent and semi permanent waterways.

Plant description The murrgu is a native oak. It produces ‘cones’ (woody receptacles holding winged fruit) rather than fleshy fruit. This tree grows to 35 metres tall and has dark green foliage. It has drooping branchlets that are green and look like segmented leaves.

Traditional use murrgu wugan (wood) makes very good firewood and can also be used to make tools. The tools include axe handles, clubs, boomerangs, shields and spears with barbs made from wood, stone or bone (Howell 1983). The nganda (bark) of the murrgu can be used to make dyes. The empty seed ‘cones’ can be used as toys for children, jewellery for adults and for ceremonial purposes. In some areas, the seeds are used as food, by crushing them into a paste. murrgu has also been used to make medicine. This muyaan (tree) is important habitat for wildlife, and grubs can be found boring in the tree whilst many animals use it for shelter and food (Williams & Sides 2008).

‘Cones’ cladodes (close-up) Bunch of phyllodes

62 63

Tree

s

balaaForest oak

Language name balaa (gamilaraay)murrgu (gamilaraay) riwila (nganyaywana)

Scientific name Allocasuarina torulosa

Plant location Mostly found towards the east of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, balaa trees grow as an understorey in open forest.

Plant description The balaa is a native oak. It produces ‘cones’ (woody receptacles holding winged fruit) rather than fleshy fruit. These ‘cones’ have been described as ‘warty’ in appearance compared to the ‘cones’ of other native oaks. This tree is slender in comparison to other native oaks. The fruit are more finely and evenly warty than other native oaks, lacking the prominent teeth hiding the winged nut.

Traditional use The girran.girraa (cladodes - similar to leaves) and ‘cones’ of plants belonging to the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina (including balaa, murrgu, and bilaar) were chewed raw to quench thirst. It is said that even though they do not contain much water, the acid contained within them causes the mouth to produce saliva. Like the other native oaks, the wugan (wood) of the balaa is very good for making tools. In South Australia, archaeologists found a boomerang made from native oak wugan which was 10,000 years old buried in a swamp (Purcell 2002).

Bunch of leaves ‘Cones’ Cladodes and ‘cone’

64 65

Tree

s

mabuBeefwood

Language name mabu (gamilaraay, yuwalaraay, yuwalayaay)

Scientific name Grevillea striata

Plant location Growing west from Terry Hie Hie in the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, the mabu (Beefwood) is found in woodlands and shrublands.

Plant description The mabu tree grows between 3 and 15 metres tall. It has dark, rough, furrowed, brown bark. It has very long (10-45cm), thin (up to 1cm), strap-like leaves. The flowers are creamy-yellow in colour and are in cylindrical spikes. The mabu plant is known as Beefwood in English because it has rich red-coloured heartwood.

Traditional use The seeds of the mabu can be eaten. Grevillea gurayn (flowers) are well known for the sweet nectar that they produce. The gurayn of many Grevillea species are sucked for this nectar which can be high in vitamin C (Low 1991). The dhani (sap) can be used as a medicine - this was scraped from the damaged beefwood tree, then grated into powder and sprinkled on sores, burns and cuts. If the dhani is dried out, it will cause the affected area to heal rapidly. The grated dhani can be mixed with charcoal and placed on wounds to stop bleeding and promote healing. The mabu provides a dark reddish, resinous exudate from the trunk and from the roots which was used as cementing material. The root extract requires complex preparation involving baking, pounding and firing before it is ready for use. The wugan (timber) is close grained and highly durable, this made it suitable for the manufacture of weapons and other implements (Purcell 2002).

Tree habit Flowers Flowers and phyllodes (leaves)

66 67

Tree

s

dhiinaaHoneysuckle banksia

Language name dhiinaa (gamilaraay, yuwalaraay, yuwalayaay) thiinaa (gamilaraay)

Scientific name Banksia integrifolia

Plant location Mostly found on the eastern and northern edges of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, dhiinaa (Honeysuckle Banksia) generally grows on rocky hillsides and shallow soils.

Plant description dhiinaa is recognisable for its large yellow flower that looks like a bottle-brush borne on the ends of the branches. The fruits are woody cones with many seed pods that open to release seed. The tree grows between 5 to 25 metres tall. Leaves grow up to 20cm long, green on top and silver underneath. The leaves are arranged around the stem in a circle (‘whorled’) and look a little like the spokes of an umbrella.

Traditional use Banksias produce a lot of nectar on their gurayn (flowers) and this is delicious to eat or drink. The nectar can be sucked directly from the gurayn- this is best done early in the morning before the nectar evaporates or animals eat it (Low 1991). Also, the gurayn can be soaked in water to make a nectar cordial. The dried gurayn can be used to strain water to drink. A tool was made from the dhiinaa wugan (wood) which was used to weave baskets and mats (Purcell 2002). The woody cones can be lit on fire and used to carry fire from one campsite to another. These muyaan (trees) are also important food for wildlife, and attract animals such as birds, possums and insects.

Tree habit Flower Cone

68 69

Tree

s

dhalanGrass tree

Language name dhalan (gamilaraay)

tanpara (nganyaywana)

Scientific name Xanthorrhoea species

Plant location Widespread across the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, often found in well-drained areas of forest and heath.

Plant description dhalan (Grass trees) are unmistakable in form. There are two main species found in the catchment but they look quite similar. The woody trunk of dhalan grows to 5 metres high and is topped by a skirt of grass-like leaves (green on top, brown underneath). Protruding from the top is often a tall, woody flower spike with pale yellow or cream flowers.

Traditional use dhalan can provide many types of food. Nectar from the gurayn (flowers) can be eaten straight from the gurayn or dipped in water held by a coolamon to make a sweet drink. Grubs can be found within the muyaan (tree). Aboriginal people used to eat the starchy heart of the dhalan, but this practice is not recommended as it kills the muyaan. The warran (roots) around the base of the stem can be eaten - these taste like potato. The stems of young girran.girraa (leaves) can be chewed, these sometimes taste sweet and juicy. Tough girran.girraa can be used as knives. dhalan gurayn stalks were also used to make spear handles and as fire drills, to start fires using friction. The stalks of old gurayn and fruits were used for tinder in making fire (Australian National Botanic Gardens 2010c). dhani (gum) can be used to make glue or cement and is also eaten - it was an important trade item with Aboriginal communities to the west. Shelter can be found under the muyaan, as protection from poor weather. The resin, once heated, can be chewed to heal dysentery and chest complaints (Low 1991, Howell 1983).

Grass tree habit Flowers Flower spike

70 71

Tree

s

nhiminKurrajong

Language name nhimin (gamilaraay) nhungga (yuwaalaraay) (yuwaalayaay)nangkata (nganyaywana)

Scientific name Brachychiton populneus

Plant location The nhimin (Kurrajong) is common in woodland and forest throughout the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments.

Plant description The nhimin is an evergreen tree with bright, shiny green leaves. The leaves are distinctive with a tear-drop or 3-5 lobed shape. These trees grow to 15 metres high. The bark is smooth and grey. The flowers are bell-shaped, grow to 2cm long and are creamy-white with a speckled dark red throat. The fruit is a woody pod with seeds set amongst fine yellow hairs.

Traditional use The seeds of the nhimin can be eaten raw or roasted. They taste like nuts, but beware of the irritating hairs found in the seed pod and don’t eat them when they are green. The roasted seeds can also be used to make a drink a little like coffee (Purcell 2002). The seeds are very nutritious, with high levels of protein, fat, zinc and magnesium (Low 1991). The young warran (roots) can be eaten like vegetables (Hudson, in press). Water can also be drawn from the warran. The gum of the nhimin is used as glue. giyawaan (fibre from the inner bark) can be used as twine to make nets for catching fish, waterbirds, kangaroos and even emus (Howell 1983). In some areas, Aboriginal people made a net from giyawan and strung it up between two muyaan (trees). Waterbirds were frightened into the net by boomerangs thrown above them to act like birds of prey (Australian National Botanic Gardens 2010d). nhimin twine can also be used to make dilly bags, rope, waistbelts, hair nets and cords for necklaces. Twine was tied into a netted bag to carry a child on the back of his/her mother. muramin (kurrajong bark) made fine shields which were painted with ochre designs (Howell 1983). Seed pods were used to make toys, such as little birds, for children to play with (Purcell 2002).

Flower Tree habit Seed pod and seeds

72 73

Tree

s

Lilly pilly

Language name Unknown

Scientific name Acmena smithii

Plant location The Lilly pilly is usually found in rainforest along creek lines, in the eastern part of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments. This plant is also found in gorge rainforests in the Mt Kaputar area.

Plant description The Lilly pilly is a shrub or tree with smooth to slightly flaky bark which may crack along older stems. The leaves grow up to 11cm long and 5cm wide and may have a long tapered tip. The fruit are the easiest part of the tree to help to identify them. These can be pink, white or purple in colour. They grow to 2cm in diameter and have a disc which sits inside the fruit at its tip.

Traditional use The Lilly pilly fruits can be eaten straight from the tree. This species, along with other types of Lilly pilly (belonging to the Syzygium genus and not usually found in the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments) produce abundant fruit which have been used in the past to make jelly, jam, cordial and as a fresh fruit. Even though the fruits were widely eaten, they are said to be aromatic, drying and not very palatable (Smith and Smith 1999). They can however provide some water and minerals.

Fruit Tree habit Leaves

74 75

Tree

s

bagalaLeopardwood tree

Language name bagala (gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Flindersia maculata

Plant location bagala (the Leopardwood tree) is found in the western area of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments. It grows on sand plains and stony, hilly areas.

Plant description bagala has mottled bark which looks like the pattern on a leopard’s fur. This tree grows to 15 metres high. It has creamy white flowers and the leaves are shiny, dark green above and dull, light green underneath. It has a woody fruit which grows to 3 centimetres long and splits up the middle into separate segments.

Traditional use bagala is said to be ‘good for toothache’. There are several methods recorded that Aboriginal people have used to treat toothache. The nganda (bark) and a part of the warran (roots) can be beaten and mixed with water to make a paste to apply to the sore tooth. The warran can be baked and bitten to ease the pain of toothache. The cold ash of the warran can also be placed on aching teeth to cure pain. If a person is suffering from backache, the damp nganda and girran.girraa (leaves) are placed on a fire to create smoke. A blanket is then laid over this and the patient lies on the blanket - the heat and smoke is said to relieve the pain. bagala can also provide a remedy for diarrhoea. The clear amber dhani (gum) can also be eaten - apparently it tastes quite good! It is sweet but a little astringent. The dhani can also be dissolved in water to make glue. The tough, heavy wugan (timber) makes good fighting shields which are often engraved (Howell 1983).

Bark Flowers Leaves

76 77

Tree

s

ganayanay Supplejack

Language name ganayanay (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Ventilago viminalis

Plant location ganayanay is found in the western and central areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments. It can usually be found as scattered individuals in eucalypt communities, or as an element in dry rainforest ‘scrub’. ganayanay grows on various soils, including the deep clay soils of floodplains and sandy soils.

Plant description The ganayanay tree grows to 10 metres high and has drooping branches. The leaves grow up to 12cm long and the flowers are yellowish-green. ganayanay grows a small nut (4mm in diameter) which has an oblong wing which can grow to 4cm. The nuts turn from green to brown as they mature.

Traditional use ganayanay has been used to make fire through friction- that is, by rubbing sticks together to create sparks which drop onto kindling and set it alight (Cribb & Cribb 1982). In some parts of Australia, Aboriginal people use ganayanay as a medicine. The nganda (bark) is mashed and soaked in water which makes a lotion that can be applied to sores and swellings, as well as for toothache and rheumatism. Bald men even tried applying it to their head to encourage their hair to grow back! ganayanay ashes have been used to make chewing tobacco, by mixing it with biyaga (Native tobacco) (Cribb & Cribb 1981).

Leaves

Tree Habit

78 79

Tree

s

guwiirraButter bush, Mallee willow

Language name guwiirra (yuwaalaraay) miyaymiyaay (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Pittosporum angustifolium

Plant location guwiirra (Butter bush) grows in woodland and mallee communities throughout the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, but mainly in the slopes and the plains. It is common in arid areas in the western parts of the catchment.

Plant description guwiirra is a small tree or shrub which grows to 10 metres high. It has drooping branches with long, thick leaves (up to 12cm long) with a small hook on the end. It has mottled grey bark and small, fragrant, cream coloured flowers. The fruit are orange coloured, 18mm long and contain 6-8 seeds in a sticky orange pulp.

Traditional use guwiirraa is a special plant with many uses. It is known as a spiritual tree and medicine plant. It has even been used as an aphrodisiac by some people! (Sides & Williams 2008). The girran.girraa (leaves) or fruit are boiled in water and can be consumed or applied externally to heal conditions such as colds, cramps, internal pains, sprains and eczema. In some areas of New South Wales, warm girran.girraa are applied to the breast to encourage milk flow after child birth (Cribb & Cribb 1981). The wugan (wood) can be used to make small tools such as shields and stone axe handles (Sides & Williams 2008). guwiirraa have very bitter yellow fruits which are beaten into flour, while a dhani (gum) which oozes from wounded bungun (branches) can be eaten - this is high in energy (Purcell 2002). The sticky seeds can be dried, then ground into powder for use as an aphrodisiac (Sides & Williams).

Flowers and leaves Shrub habit Fruit

80 81

Tree

s

dhiil Wilga

Language name dhiil (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Geijera parviflora

Plant location dhiil (Wilga) is found in mixed woodland communities in the central and western areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments.

Plant description dhiil is a shrub or tree which grows to 10 metres high. Its canopy is rounded and dense. The leaves and branches hang from the tree and often reach the ground. The glossy, dark green, leathery leaves are long (up to 18cm) and narrow (up to 7mm). These leaves release a strong odour when crushed. The flowers are small and white with 5 petals. The small fruits are globular in shape - these dry and split to reveal a single shiny black seed.

Traditional use dhiil is an important plant for burials and ceremonies. dhiil girran.girraa (leaves) are used for burials, along with the girran.girraa of the Gurraay (Cypress Pine). For ceremonies, dhiil girran.girraa are baked, powdered and smoked in sequence with other narcotic plants, which makes people feel drunk and drowsy. dhiil can also be used as a medicine - an infusion of girran.girraa can be used internally and externally to relieve pain, whilst placing chewed girran.girraa in tooth cavities helps to relieve toothache (Purcell 2002). girran.girraa were used to make a medicine for sore eyes. girran.girraa were boiled in water making a black liquid which was then used to wash sore eyes (Holten et al. 1989). If someone breaks a bone, the warran (roots) and nganda (branches) of the dhiil can be used to make a splint to stabilise and immobilise the bone. dhiil can provide shelter for both people and animals. People used to camp under the warm canopy of the dhiil on a bed made from its girran.girraa. Boomerangs were made from the wugan (wood) of the dhiil. Many animals used dhiil for habitat and food, so this was a good place to hunt. It was also a good place to find honey from native bees, as the flowers are attractive to these bees (Williams and Sides 2008).

Flower Fruit Tree habit

82 83

Tree

s

guriEmu apple

Language name guri (gamilaraay) (alternative name: ‘koorie’ – Mungindi)guwi (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)

Scientific name Owenia acidula

Plant location guri (emu apple) is found scattered on the plains in the central and western areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, west from Warialda.

Plant description guri is tree which grows to 10 metres high, with hanging branches and a spreading crown. It often grows in dense clumps. It has ‘tile-like’ grey brown bark and bright green leaves. Small, fragrant flowers are found at the base of the leaf. The fruit, 2.5cm in diameter, is round and purple-red with a large hard stone containing 2-3 seeds. It resembles an apple or plum.

Traditional use In some parts of Australia, guri is rumoured to be an aphrodisiac! The fruit of the guri can be eaten when it is purple in colour. Some people think it is too sour to eat whilst in some parts of Australia it was reported that Aboriginal people ate the fruit in great quantities. It should only be eaten after it has dropped from the tree onto the ground (Low 1991). The fruit can be used to make cordial or jam. Emus also like to eat the fruit. For sore eyes, a decoction of wugan (wood) is made and used to bathe the eyes (Purcell 2002).

Children used the seeds of the fruit to play ‘marbles’. A big circle was drawn in the dirt, about 20 metres across and children buried the guri seeds in the centre of it under the dirt. Each player would take a turn at knocking them out of the centre by throwing an old sandshoe whilst standing on the rim of the circle (Holten et al. 1989).

Tree habit Flowers Leaves

84 85

Tree

s

Soap bush, Red ash

Language name Unknown

Scientific name Alphitonia excelsa

Plant location Soap bush is found in the central and eastern areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments, growing as far west as the Yetman district. It generally grows in scrub and open forest, and on steep gullies and slopes.

Plant description This tree grows to a height of 25 metres. Its bark is grey and the leaves are shiny green above and silvery grey below. The flowers are small, green and insignificant. The fruits are round and black with a diameter of 1cm.

Traditional use Soap bush is well known for its use as a soap. The girran.girraa (leaves) contain high levels of saponin which makes them froth when crushed and mixed with water. This can be used to wash the hands or as a bush dishwashing detergent! Soap bush was also used as a traditional medicine. In some parts of Australia, Aboriginal people crushed girran.girraa in warm water to make a ‘bubble bath’ for a person with a headache. An infusion of nganda (bark) and warran (root) can be gargled to treat toothache or rubbed on the body as a liniment. Boiling nganda and wugan (wood) makes a potion which can be swallowed as a tonic. Young shoots are sometimes chewed to treat an upset stomach. girran.girraa can be used as an application for sore eyes. Soap bush has also been used as a source of cane or fibre (Cribb & Cribb 1981, Cribb & Cribb 1982).

Fruit Flower Leaves