Merne - Plant Food
(Mer-na) is foods that are obtained from plants: seeds, fruits, stems, leaves, flowers, roots, bulbs, tubers and galls.
Seeds
| Arrernte |
Merne ntange arlketyerre |
| English |
Dead Finish seeds |
| Scientific |
Acacia tetragonophylla |
| Story |
When you see the seed pod is ripe you pick them, cook them in the hot earth and eat them. |
| Arrernte |
Merne ntange ulyawe |
| English |
Pigweed seed |
| Scientific |
Portulaca oleracea |
| Story |
You collect them, mash them up on a grinding stone and leave it for the juice to drain to one side of the stone. You lick up the juice and make the seed pulp into a patty and eat it. |
Fruits
| Arrernte |
Merne awele-awele |
| English |
Bush Tomato |
| Scientific |
Solanum ellipticum |
| Story |
These are ripe when they are yellow, you can smell them from a long way away. You can eat them raw or cook them. You put them in the hot earth by the fire, sprinkle some water on them and cover them with warm soil. |
| Arrernte |
Merne atyankerne |
| English |
Mistletoe berries |
| Scientific |
Amyema preisii |
| Story |
You find it growing on Mulga trees. You can pick them off one by one or shake it so the fruit fall down to the ground. You don't chew them because they stick to your tongue. |
| Arrernte |
Merne alangkwe |
| English |
Bush Banana fruit |
| Scientific |
Marsdenia australis |
| Story |
You pick these off the vine when they are small and eat them. They taste like peas. |
Stems and Leaves
| Arrernte |
Merne altyeye |
| English |
Bush Banana leaves |
| Scientific |
Marsdenia australis |
| Story |
You cook the leaves and stems in the hot earth. |
Flowers
| Arrernte |
Merne ulkantyerrknge |
| English |
Bush Banana flowers |
| Scientific |
Marsdenia australis |
| Story |
The flowers hang in clusters. They look and taste like brocolli. |
Roots
| Arrernte |
Merne atnetye |
| English |
Bush Banana roots |
| Scientific |
Marsdenia australis |
| Story |
You cook up these really white ones in hot dirt and eat them. It gives you a good appetite. |
| Arrernte |
Merne arlatyeye |
| English |
Pencil Yam |
| Scientific |
Carissa lanceolata |
| Story |
You dig them up in creekbeds. Some are big and fat and others are long and thin. You cook them in hot soil until they are just firm. |
Bulbs
| Arrernte |
Merne yalke |
| English |
Wild Onions |
| Scientific |
Cyperus bulbosus |
| Story |
You dig them up from the creek bed when the grass of the plant has dried out, the bulb is ready. You rub them between your hands to husk it and eat it. You can cook them in the hot earth near the fire and they go soft. |
Tubers
| Arrernte |
Merne anatye |
| English |
Bush Potato |
| Scientific |
Ipomoea costata |
| Story |
You dig for bush potatoes in the cracks around the plant. You have to dig a big hole to find them. You cook them in the hot earth then share them around. |
Galls
| Arrernte |
Merne arrkrlpangkwerle |
| English |
Bush Coconut |
| Scientific |
Cysticoccus pomiformis (insect)
Corymbia opaca (tree) |
| Story |
You knock the insect gall out of the Bloodwood Tree with a rock the you hit it with another rock to split it open. The little insect inside is called angure, you eat it and it is full of water. The white flesh of the coconut is also eaten. |
Compare with Sonoran Desert culture.
