23 



The natives of Northern Queensland make, or used to make, 

 a bread of the seeds of this species. 



" In North Queensland, according to Mr. T. A. Gulliver, the 

 natives make bread of the seeds of Sesbania uculeata, Pers. I 

 am of opinion that this is the true Nardoo of the Cooper's 

 Creek natives. The unfortunate explorers (Burke and Wills) 

 might easily have mistaken the spore cases of a Mar-si lea for 

 the shelled out seeds of Sesbania. (Bailey, in Proc. Soc, 

 N.S.W., 1880, p. 8). 



(Jyperus rotundus, Linn. Uyperaceae. 



Mr. Maiden says of this plant : — " Root a small bulb which 

 the aboriginal calls ' Yower,' and other tribes ' Tharaka,' they 

 roast them and eat them." 



This plant is also a native of Natal, and though our natives 

 do not appear to have made any use of it, a closely allied plant, 

 0. esculentus, Linn, has an aromatic tuberous rootstock which 

 they use medicinally, and another species also closely allied, 

 G. fastigiatus, Roxb produces small tubers at the ends of some 

 of the roots, which are eaten, the plant is known as in-Groopa. 



Typha augustifoita, Linn. Typhaceae. 



This plant is not uncommon in marshy places in the Colony, 

 but I cannot learn that the natives make any use of it. I only 

 quote a portion of Mr. Maiden's article : — In a paper by Gerard 

 Krefft (Proc. Philos. Soc, N.S.W., 1862-5). " On the Lower 

 Murray Aboriginals" the following description is given by him 

 of the method of preparing these roots for food : — " At a certain 

 period, I believe January and February the women enter the 

 swamps, take up the roots of these reeds, and carry them in 

 large bundles to their camp. The roots thus collected are 12 

 to 18 inches in length, and they contain, besides a small quan- 

 tity of saccharine matter, a considerable quantity of fibre. The 

 roots are roasted in a hollow made in the ground, and either 

 consumed hot, or taken as a sort of provision upon hunting 

 expeditions ; they are at best a miserable apology for flour, and 1 

 almost believe it was on account of the tough fibre thus ob- 

 tained that these roots were made an article of food. 



The following food stuff is referable to this species : — 



The broad flag-reed ***** which is an excellent 

 and nutritious article of food. This root being dug up and 

 roasted in hot ashes yields a great quantity of mealy farinaceous 

 powder interspersed among the fibres ; it is of an agreeable 

 flavour, wholesome and satisfying to the appetite. In all parts 

 of Australia, even where other food abounds, the root of this 



