Seasonal Calendar
NYINGGI-MAGENY PLANTS
Boodbarang
Konkerberry
Carissa lanceolata/spinosa
- (Dec-Jan)
- The Konkerberry is a small thorny shrub that grows in most parts of the country
- It produces a small black fruit in the wet season
Daloong
Green plum
Buchanania obovata
- The Green Plum tree grows to about four meters in height
- It produces a green fruit in December and January which is an important food source for the Miriwoong people
- The fruit is also fancied by the Bower Bird.
Goolmerrng
Bush grape
Ampelocissus acetosa
- The Bush Grape is a small plant with broad leaves that appears in the wet season
- In January and February, the bush grape produces a green grape-like fruit
Jamarndaj
River fig
Ficus racemosa
- The River fig tree is a large tree found along the river systems
- It produces a large amount of fruit that grows on the trunk and the branches of the tree
- The river fig starts to produce fruit at the end of Warnka-geny (the cold season) and leading into Nyinggiyi-mageny
Marling
Cane Grass
Sorghum sp.
- The Cane grass grows tall during the wet season and can easily reach up to three metres high
- The Miriwoong people extract juice from the young shoots by chewing on them
Mejerren
Bush grape
Vitex glabrata
- The Black plum grows from a large tree found around the hill country
- The tree produces a small sweet fruit in the wet season and is a popular bush food for the Miriwoong people
Woolewooleng
White Current
Flueggea virosa
- The White currant is a small plant that grows in most shady areas around the river and flat country in the East Kimberley region
- It bears fruit in the mid wet season (Feb-Mar) and is a traditional food source for the Miriwoong people
Woorerreng
Cane Grass
Ipomoea sp
- The Bush yam is a small type of yam that flowers in the sandy country during the wet season
These are just some of the many bush foods which grow in the wet season. To find out more, check out the Miriwoong Seasonal Calendar book available at the Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre!
Click below to return to Nyinggiyi-mageny or check out some of the animals in Nyinggyi-mageny
