Top 3 ‘uses’ at Level 1 with most used plant part

The following section investigates the Top 3 ‘uses’ at Level 1 (human consumption, materials and medicine) and identifies the most common plant part used in these. As there are 56 plant part descriptors at Level 2, only those that have a signifcant ‘count’ (more than 10) were included. The others were aggregated into the category of ‘other’.

7.4.2.1 Plant Part (at Level 2) most used in human consumption

Although many plants parts are only seasonally available and / or desirable at certain times of the year, such as nectars and fruits, others have a larger window of availability, such as seeds.

Table 7-15 Plant part (at Level 2) most used in human consumption Human consumption

L2 Part Count

fruit 37

leaves 25

nectar 17

roots 21

seeds 62

Others 122

Total 284

Table 7-15, reveals that seeds are the most consumed part of a plant. This is possibly attributed to the fact that they are usually visible and maybe easier to harvest as you do not need to dig for them. Once harvested, they can be made into flour and used for baking scone loaves and dampers which are food products that are filling and can last for a few days. The seeds could also be portable, stored against future need and had longevity. Having a stockpile was helpful to call upon during times of drought, food scarcity or during inclement weather which could hinder daily foraging.

Although roots, leaves and fruit were also important as part of the Wadawurrung People’s every day diet, seeds were nearly triple in ‘use’ frequency in comparison to root usage. This data is disproportionately higher than current ethnobotanical thinking where roots were thought to have been a primary plant source. ‘In the higher rainfall areas of south eastern Australia, plant underground storage organs

‘roots’ in the broad sense - constituted the staple foods’.³⁹⁴ This data suggests that foraging was possibly more focussed on seed collection than initially thought.

All grass grains are rich in proteins, vitamins, calories and the trace elements essential for healthy life. They are, like eggs, a complete food. The seeds

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contained all the elements necessary to sustain life and were an essential item in their diet.³⁹⁵

Native grass seeds have been analysed for their nutritional composition and health implications and it was discovered that ‘the seeds were excellent sources of energy, high in protein and often essential fats too, and vitamins and minerals and also high in fibre’.³⁹⁶

The seeds were also collected from shrubs and trees such as the River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). These seeds were called ‘tartu’, and were gathered, dried and stored for eating when other food sources were scarce. The seeds were then ground into grist, mixed into a scone loaf and baked on a hot stone griddle.

The scone was nobody's favourite dish for the taste was astringent; but it served as a nourishing Winter meal if the weather had been too inclement for the foragers to work. The seeds of the red gum were edible if not so well liked as Acacia spp. seeds or those of the Carpobrotus spp.³⁹⁷

The ripe seeds of the Myrtle wattle (Acacia myrtifolia) called ‘woolerp’ were gathered where ants deposited them around an ant mound. Aboriginal women ground the seeds and mixed them with ant-pupae to make a kind of porridge. The ant-pupae were rich in fat and made good shortening for a scone loaf and enhanced the flavour.³⁹⁸

The seeds of all Acacia spp. were edible and could also be eaten raw like green peas at the immature stage and they provided nourishment. The flavour of each was distinctive; therefore, some were preferred because of their taste or their chemical properties.³⁹⁹

Acacia seeds have also been evaluated for their nutritional composition and health implications and it was established that ‘Acacia seeds are outstanding in their nutrient content, being much higher in energy, protein and fat than any cereal crop such as wheat and rice. Their composition more closely resembles that of the legume family to which the Acacias actually belong’.⁴⁰⁰

The seed cases of pigface (Carpobrotus spp.) or as the early ethnographical writers called them ‘hottentot figs’ were considered excellent food. The seeds were minute but could be harvested if the whole plant was cut off and turned upside down on a cleared patch of ground. Collected with the dust they were winnowed (yandied) in the wangat, a small, oval hearth shovel used at the fire side. Crushed on a mortar and mixed with animal fat and shredded meat, they created patties which were rich in nutrients.⁴⁰¹

In Aboriginal society morsels of food, added to other morsels, constituted a good meal. Given the small size of seeds and the onerous process to manually collect the seeds, the dedication of time to this activity must have consumed a large part of the overall foraging time allowance. Although this was most likely only expended at certain times of the year when seeds were ripe for harvesting.⁴⁰²

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7.4.2.2 Plant part (at Level 2) most used as materials

The most common Level 2 plant part used in materials are leaves (Table 7-16) which are manfactured into string and as fibre in the making of baskets. Wood came a close second and was used primarily for making weapons, tools and utensils. This appears to be consistent with current ethnobotanical profiling.

Table 7-16 Plant part (at Level 2) most used as materials Materials

Level 2 part Count

Culms 27

Leaves 63

outer bark/cortex 31

Wood 59

other (52 plant parts) 112

Total 292

Leaves and wood that were used in materials was discussed in detail in sections 7.3.1.3 and 7.3.1.4. For the complete list of plant parts used as medicine refer to table in Appendix 10.20.

7.4.2.3 Plant Part (at Level 2) most used as medicine

Of all the plant parts available, leaves were most commonly used (Table 7-17) in healing ailments ranging from external to internal disorders. This appears to be consistent with current ethnobotanical profiling.

Table 7-17 Plant Part (at Level 2) most used as medicine Medicine

Level 2 part Count

gum/kino 15

inner bark/bast 13

leaves 54

other (53 plant parts) 96

Total 178

Leaves used in medicine are discussed in detail in section 7.3.1.3. For the complete list of plant parts used in medicine refer table in Appendix 10.20.

166 7.4.3 Multiple plant use

It is well known that plants were integral in supporting the Wadawurrung People’s lifestyle, providing them with a rich and bountiful existence. Plants were treated with respect for their contribution. Plants were viewed as an important ingredient in the essence of life. They were not simply disposable commodities, but were used in many varying ways. Some plants such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis had 30 different ways in which it was used – from its leaves, to fruits, flowers, bark and wood – and it was a prized and a respected tree that stood along the many waterways in Wadawurrung Country. Figure 7-4 shows the highest number of uses for the Top 20 plant species.

Figure 7-4 Number of different uses per plant species (Top 20)

Of the ‘Top 20’ most frequently used plant species, 65% are trees. There are three reasons for this:

1. The size of the tree provides more usage options as there are often more parts and a greater volume of these parts to utilise.

2. A tree provides year round opportunities for use, unlike many herbaceous perennials.

3. Observations made by the early ethnographers and colonists that are documented in these figures have a bias towards species that were considered useful to them such as trees for construction purposes. As many colonists

0 10 20 30 40

Acacia spp.

Eucalyptus camaldulensis Acacia melanoxylon Eucalyptus tricarpa Eucalyptus macrorhyncha Acacia pycnantha Melaleuca spp.

Eucalyptus spp.

Eucalyptus viminalis Xanthorrhoea australis Phragmites australis Acacia mearnsii Melaleuca ericifolia Melaleuca squarrosa Pimelea axiflora Pteridium esculentum Typha domingensis Xanthorrhoea minor Allocasuarina verticillata Carpobrotus spp.

Number of Different Uses Per Species

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were not prepared to change their diet, smaller plants used for food were of little interest.

Within Figure 7-4 groups appear of undefined species (e.g. Acacia spp.) These have been included as a group because the species itself was not specifically identified by Lane, or her primary source. For this research, the decision was made to include this data based on two reasons:

1. No other species belonging to this genus were included; and/or

2. There are ‘uses’ within these groups that do not appear at the individual species record therefore removing them would remove valuable usage data.

Figure 7-5, shows 62% of plants have multiple uses compared to 38% of the species only having a single use recorded.

Figure 7-5 Multiple versus single ‘use’ of plants

Figure 7-6 illustrates the following:

1. 8% of all the plant species have more than 10 ‘uses’;

2. 54% of all the plant species have less than or equal to 9 ‘uses’ but more than 1 ‘use’ per species i.e. a plant in this group can be used in more than 1 way, but less than 10 ways;

3. 38% of all species only has 1 ‘use’.

Figure 7-6 Number of ‘uses’ within a range 62%

38%

Multiple Use 62%

Single use 38%

8%

54%

38% ≥10 Uses

9≥x>1 Uses 1 Use

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