500 AUSTRALIAN IXDIGEXOUS HUMAK FOOD-PROVIDIXG PLANTS, 



peculiar to aroideous plants. TheFijians prefer eating the cooked 

 Taro when cold, Europeans as a rule like it quite hot, and, if 

 possihle, roaste<l. A considerable number of varieties are known, 

 somo V)etter adapted for puddings, some for bread, or simply for 

 lx)iling or V»aking. The outer marks of distinction chiefly rest 

 upon the different tinge observable in the conn, leaf, stalks, and 

 libs of the leaves, — white, yellowish, purple. 



The roots are also largely consumed for food in Jnjian, and in a 

 descriptive Catalogue of the Japanese exhibits at the Health 

 Exhibition, London, 1884, they are styled, "Japanese Potatos." 



Following is an analysis taken from the Catalogue : — 



Albumen 1'427 



Fat 0080 



Glucose 0120 



Starch 10-400 



Pectose, «kc 1154 



Ash 0-987 



Water 85-202 



100. 

 Queensland. 



51. CoLOCASiA MACRORRinzA, Schott, (Syn. Caladium niac- 

 rorrhizo7i, R.Br. ; Alocasia rnacrorrkiza, Schott), N.O. 

 Aroideje, B.Fl. viL, 155. 



"Pitchu " of the aVx)riginals of the Burnet River (Queensland), 

 ** Cunjevoi " of those of South Queensland, " Hakkin "' of the 

 Rockhampton (Q.) aboriginals, " Banganga " or " Xargan" of the 

 Cleveland Bay aboriginals. 



The young bulbs, of a light rose-colour inside, found growing on 

 large old rhizomes, are scraped by the aboriginals, di^•ided into two 

 parts, and put under hot ashes for about half an hour. When 

 sufficiently Vjaked they are then pounded by hard strokes between 

 two stones — a large one, Wallarie, AXid a small one, Kwidola. All 

 the pieces which do not look faiinaceous, but watery when broken. 



