90 
Botanical Nam C.— Owenia, ill honour of the late Professor Owen, the great 
comparative anatomist of the British Museum; acidula, in allusion to the sour taste 
of the fruit. 
Vernacular Names. —It is called “ Sour Plum,” “ Native Peach or 
Nectarine,” and “ Emu Apple.” “ Fructus liujus et congenerum struthionibus 
Novte-Hollandise gratus ” (footnote to original description). “ Mooley Apple.” 
Aboriginal Names. —“Gruie,” or “Gruyee,” or “Gruie-apple” are common 
names. The spelling is sometimes given as “ Cruie.” Other names are “ Colane,” 
“ Bancooran,” and “ Warrongan.” Mr. J. F. Bailey gives a Queensland name as 
“ Bulloo,” and Mr. F. M. Bailey quotes Mr. Wedd as giving its name as “ Dilly 
Boolen ” at St. George. 
Leaves. —It has been claimed that this is the handsomest tree in the 
interior ; certainly it is a very beautiful, small tree. It has pendulous branches and 
pinnate foliage, reminding one somewhat of a pepper-tree (Schinus molle). It is one 
of the best of our fodder trees. “ Is eaten by most stock with varying degrees of 
partiality. Sheep are certainly not very fond of it.”—(B. W. Peacock.) 
Mr. F. B. Guthrie, in the Agricultural Gazette, October, 1899, gives the 
following analysis under the name of Colane:— 
Water. 
Ash. 
Fibre. 
Ether Ex¬ 
tract, Oil,&c. 
Albmnenoids. 
Carbo¬ 
hydrates. 
Nutrient 
value. 
Albumenoid 
ratio. 
Tannin 
(Oak bark). 
49-01 
6-86 
12-47 
M2 
9-19 
21-35 
33 
1:21 
1-5 
Fl’llits. —The sub-acid fruit of this tree relieves thirst, enabling travellers to 
endure the inconvenience of want of water for many hours. It is eaten both by 
colonists and aborigines, is of the size of a small nectarine, and of a crimson colour. 
The stones are used for bracelets, &c., like quandongs. 
. . . one which bore clusters of a fruit resembling a small russet apple, and about an inch in diameter. 
The skin was rough, the pulp of a rich crimson colour, not unlike that of the prickly-pear, and it had an 
agreeable acid flavour. This pulp covered a large rough stone containing several seeds, and it was evidently 
eaten by the natives, as great numbers of the bare stones lay about.—Mitchell (“ Three Expeditions,” 
p. 82), with fig. 
Timber. —The wood is close-grained and handsome. It is reddish, and 
although hard, it is easy to work. It is not much used, and, owing to its small size, 
can only be used for small articles. 
Size. —Perhaps 20 or 30 feet high, with a stem diameter of, say, a foot. 
