Abstract
AbstractPurposeEndemic to Noongar Country of southwestern Australia, the charismatic and much-loved mistletoe,Nuytsia floribunda(Labill.) R.Br. ex G.Don (Munjee/Moodjarin Noongar language), was the subject of a 2010 review which explored aspects of its cultural importance and botanical attributes based largely on early colonial accounts and scientific findings. Our purpose was to apply cross-cultural methods to review and update findings reported by Hopper (2010).MethodsWe have recently explored this iconic species through a collaborative Elder-led, cross-cultural process, largely through oral accounts of contemporary Merningar Noongar knowledge holders.ResultsWe record previously unpublished insights relating toNuytsia floribunda, and longheld Noongar custom relating to its conservation, use and multi-faceted relationships with southwestern Australia’s First Nations peoples. We present Noongar- and Western science-derived knowledge relating to the physiology, ecology and evolution of this species.ConclusionThe unique biology, ingenuity and physical prominence ofNuytsia floribundahas been recognised in Noongar lore for millennia. We suggest it as a valuable teacher and exemplar of prosperous survival in old, climatically-buffered, infertile landscapes and to this end, should be widely celebrated.
Funder
Lotterywest
University of Western Australia
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Plant Science,Soil Science
Cited by
2 articles.
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