Common name: Geebung Family name: Proteaceae Botanical name: Persoonia spp. Flowering/fruiting season: Fruits in summer (Gott, 1995) Location: Restricted areas for some species (see Similar species below)

Use:

• Food, technology
• Fruits were eaten (raw) (Flood, 1980:94)
• Fruits ripen on the ground and are best when soft. Discard the skin and enjoy the soft pulp around the seed (Stewart & Percival, 1997:42)
• Fishing lines were made from bark [of E. agglomerata] strengthened by soaking it in a solution of the geebung (P. laurina ) bark in water. (Turbet in Stewart & Percival, 1997:22)
• "Stormies" P. levis (photo opposite), common shrub … tiny four-petalled yellow flowers cover the plant in winter. These are followed by yellow-brown fruit about the size of a grape … one of the most popular 'bush lollies' which should be collected only after they have fallen to the ground. (Wreck Bay Community & Renwick, 2000:40)
• Pulp chewed off stone … like nibbling sweet cotton-wool (Cribb & Cribb, 1987:48)
• Important Aboriginal foods (Zola & Gott, 1992:35)

Notes:

• Fruit the 'size of a small grape' … common in the coastal regions of eastern Australia and they are 'prolific fruit bearers.' (Wreck Bay Community & Renwick, 2000:36)
• Had 'hard stones which were dispersed by emus and possums.' Persoonia juniperina found all over Vic. has narrow leaves, prickly (Zola & Gott, 1992:35)
• All 90 species are native to Australia … yellow flowers and oval fruit still with the style attached (Stewart & Percival, 1997:42)

Language names:

• geebung : Dharuk, Sydney region
• jibbong : Wiradjuri (Gott, 1995)

Horticulture:

Generally hardy in sunny, well-watered situations; difficult to propagate from seed or cuttings but good foliage plants. eg P. linearis (Wrigley & Fagg, 1998:434-5)

Similar species:

• Yellow Geebung P. chamaepeuce - common throughout forest and woodland area 2000 to 4500 ft, e.g. Tidbinbilla
• Rigid Geebung P. rigida - dry sclerophyll
• P. subvelutina - forests of upper slopes in the ranges, also Koscuiszko region (Burbidge & Gray, 1976:144)

Use code:
FRT

« « Go Back | Return to Top of Page