THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 
Thirty-seven 
March, 1953 
As the seeds are eaten intact, one 
wonders what edible matter accom- 
panies them and why the crows in- 
gest them. J. M. Black, in his 
“Flora of South Australia,” says 
the fruit consists of 5 or fewer hard 
ovoid follicles, 4 to 5 cms. long, 
containing about 12 seeds, each 
seed with a loose brittle hairy coat 
which remains attached to the in- 
side of the follicle when the seeds 
drop out, giving it a honey-comb 
appearance. Most of us are familiar 
with the similar fruits of the Com- 
mon Kurrajong (/>. populneus) 
and of the Flame Tree (B. aceri- 
folius) grown so extensively in Ade- 
laide. Several young Brachychitons, 
probably the latter species, have 
appeared between the large pave- 
ment slabs between the main front 
building of the University and the 
Conservatorium, and another is 
several feet high growing through 
the asphalt and wooden steps lead- 
ing down to the new Physics Build- 
ing. Ascending the Gleeville spur 
at Beaumont is a wall of loose fiat 
stones — a Br achy chiton is growing 
from amongst these, the nearest 
tree being at least a quarter of a 
mile away. Have the seeds of these 
plants been dropped by birds and 
if so by what birds? This develop- 
ment in the interstices between 
stones and slabs — seedlings have 
not been seen in neighbouring 
open ground — is in contrast to the 
case of the Desert Kurrajong grow- 
ing in the sand. 
Myrtaceae : — Muntries (Kunzea 
pomifera) of our coastal sandhills 
has prostrate rooting stems and 
small edible berries tasting like 
apples. 
Epacrclaceae : — Native Cranberry 
(Astroloma humifusum) is a more 
or less prostrate heath with red 
flowers. 
Leucopogon paruiflorns is a tall | 
heath growing in the sandhills 
near the sea which has numerous 
small white edible fruits probably 
fed upon by silver-eyes, but here 
again we want definite observa 
tions. 
Acrotriche depressa, the Native 
Currant, is sufficiently common in 
some places such as near YVilliams- 
town, near Milang and on Kan- 
garoo Island as to have its fruits, 
which hang on the undersides of 
the branches, gathered for jam. 1 
do not know whether birds feed on 
these. 
Solanaceae : — Several species of 
our Solan urns, such as S. esuriale, 
S. coactilliferum (Ooldea), S. ellip- 
ticum (in our North-West) and S. 
aviculare (Kangaroo Apple), have 
fruits eaten by the natives. There 
seem to be no record of their being 
devoured by birds but rabbits eat 
the latter at Forbes in New South 
Wales. 
Myoporaceae:— Myoporum de- 
serti , according to J. M. Black, is 
sometimes called “Turkey Bush” 
because Eupodotis australis , the 
Wild “Turkey,” is fond of the fruit. 
Ridley, in combing the literature 
for examples of fruits eaten by 
birds, came upon my record in 
“The Birds of Pearson Island” 
(Trans. Roy. Soc. of S.A., 47, 1923) 
of finding a fruit of a Myoporum 
(M. insular e } the Blue-berry Tree 
or Boobialla), in a Zosterops (Sil- 
ver-eye) on that island. 
Eremophila longifolia , sometimes 
called “Native Plum-tree,” has 
“very succulent, blackish-purple, 
ovoid or globular” drupes and is 
called “Emu Bush” (presumably 
because emus eat the fruits) in the 
eastern states (J. M. Black). 
Rubiaceae:— Possibly the drupes 
of Plectronia latifolia, which is 
found in our Far North-West, may 
| be eaten by birds. 
