Plant Use Table 2 E-I

Food and other Ngadjonji uses of Rainforest Plants and Animals

Plants A-D Plants E-I Plants J Plants K-Z

gabi

Ficus pleurocarpa

Karpe Fig,
Banana Fig gabi
© William T. Cooper 1994 Ripe fruit eaten fresh.
The inner bark was used to make blankets and containers for carrying water or honey. A section of bark was stripped from the tree, the inner bark separated and beaten with a wooden club over a smooth tree-root anvil to make a blanket "about the size of a kitchen table". These blankets were carried from camp to camp.
Wood from the flange buttresses was used for making shields. See Weapons and Tools.

gamama

Cycas media

Cycad gamama The seeds, which were very poisonous without processing, were cooked, ground, leached in running water for several days, then eaten.
See Food Processing.

ganggi

Beilschmiedia bancroftii

Yellow Walnut ganggi
© William T. Cooper 1994 Toxic seeds were steamed, ground, leached and then eaten. See Food Processing.
Also used as bait for turkey traps.

ganyjuu

Castanospermum australe

Black Bean ganyjuu
© William T. Cooper 1994 A very important staple food source for the Ngadjonji. The seeds are large and plentiful but they are very poisonous without the careful processing that removed the poisons. See Food Processing.
The seeds could be stored in damp pits in the wet-season camps.

gulagaa

Ficus copiosa

Plentiful Fig gulagaa
© William T. Cooper 1994 Young fruits (yalanda) were cooked in an earth-oven; said to taste like potatoes. Ripe fruits (yanggi) from lower altitude trees (at higher altitudes the ripe fruits are poisonous) could be eaten fresh; said to taste like dates.
New leaves were steamed and eaten.

guwaa

Endiandra palmerstonii

Black Walnut guwaa
© William T. Cooper 1994 The seeds were eaten after cooking in an earth-oven or on the coals of a fire. Said to taste like bread and to be the tastiest of the traditional starchy foods.
Ground seed was used as a bait for turkey-traps.

guyu

Pothos longipipes

Candle Vine guyu
© William T. Cooper 1994 Ripe red fruit eaten, usually cooked but could be eaten fresh. Fruit would be collected, wrapped in leaves and cooked in the coals of a fire for about 15 minutes.

Plants A-D Plants J

gabi Ficus pleurocarpa Karpe Fig, Banana Fig	© William T. Cooper 1994	Ripe fruit eaten fresh. The inner bark was used to make blankets and containers for carrying water or honey. A section of bark was stripped from the tree, the inner bark separated and beaten with a wooden club over a smooth tree-root anvil to make a blanket "about the size of a kitchen table". These blankets were carried from camp to camp. Wood from the flange buttresses was used for making shields. See Weapons and Tools.
gamama Cycas media Cycad		The seeds, which were very poisonous without processing, were cooked, ground, leached in running water for several days, then eaten. See Food Processing.
ganggi Beilschmiedia bancroftii Yellow Walnut	© William T. Cooper 1994	Toxic seeds were steamed, ground, leached and then eaten. See Food Processing. Also used as bait for turkey traps.
ganyjuu Castanospermum australe Black Bean	© William T. Cooper 1994	A very important staple food source for the Ngadjonji. The seeds are large and plentiful but they are very poisonous without the careful processing that removed the poisons. See Food Processing. The seeds could be stored in damp pits in the wet-season camps.
gulagaa Ficus copiosa Plentiful Fig	© William T. Cooper 1994	Young fruits (yalanda) were cooked in an earth-oven; said to taste like potatoes. Ripe fruits (yanggi) from lower altitude trees (at higher altitudes the ripe fruits are poisonous) could be eaten fresh; said to taste like dates. New leaves were steamed and eaten.
guwaa Endiandra palmerstonii Black Walnut	© William T. Cooper 1994	The seeds were eaten after cooking in an earth-oven or on the coals of a fire. Said to taste like bread and to be the tastiest of the traditional starchy foods. Ground seed was used as a bait for turkey-traps.
guyu Pothos longipipes Candle Vine	© William T. Cooper 1994	Ripe red fruit eaten, usually cooked but could be eaten fresh. Fruit would be collected, wrapped in leaves and cooked in the coals of a fire for about 15 minutes.