Table 1 Plants ranked according to the number of people able to name them (total N = 13)

Antidesma ghaesembilla

djulukkurn, kunj kurlba, djubbi

13

Fruit eaten

Buchanania obovata

man-moyi

13

Fruit eaten

Cassytha filiformis

burrunburrun

13

Fruit eaten

Morinda citrifolia

man-ngukmanj, man-ngukbanj

13

Fruit eaten, medicinal

Nymphaea violacea

wayuk, budbarrk

13

Fruit, stem, roots eaten

Pandanus spiralis

kun-dayarr

13

Seed, leaf base eaten

Syzygium eucalyptoides

bokorn

13

Fruit eaten

Syzygium potamophilum

kiddjanjdjanj

13

Fruit eaten

Syzygium suborbiculare

djarduk

13

Fruit eaten

Terminalia carpentariae

man-mobban

13

Fruit eaten

Bambusa arnhemica

man-kole, barakkarl

12

Spear-making

Ficus virens

djarnhba

12

Fruit eaten, fibres used to make string

Melaleuca leucadendra

kun-kod

12

Bark used for building material, making artefacts

Acacia difficilis

man-djoh

11

Seeds eaten

Cycas angulata

man-dirnku, ngaddu

11

Seeds eaten

Livistonia humilis

djarnkele, djadjak

11

Pith, shoots, fruit eaten

Callitris intratropica

man-larru

10

Medicinal bark

Corypha utan (formerly C. elata)

kurlwirri

10

Growing tip eaten

Erythrophleum chlorostachys

man-dubang

10

Medicinal bark, leaves burnt for ‘smoking’ ceremonies, hard wood for construction

Eucalyptus miniata

man-balanjdjarr

10

Medicinal bark, seeds eaten

Flagellaria indica

bardderdde

10

Fruit eaten, fibres used to make string

Gronophyllum ramsayi

kolng

9

Growing tip eaten, leaves used to make artefacts

Nauclea orientalis

dubal

9

Fruit eaten

Terminalia ferdinandiana

man-marlak, man-manjarr

8

Fruit eaten

Eucalyptus alba

kolokkolo, ?man-komborlo, ?warlan

7

?

Flueggea virosa

man-korrowon

7

Fruit eaten

Grewia retusifolia

man-djotmo, murriddjam

7

Fruit eaten

Grevillea pteridifolia

man-bongko

7

Nectar sucked from flowers, leaves used to flavour meat

Brachychiton paradoxum

budbud, man-ngarnanj

6

Fruit eaten, fibres used to make string

Carallia brachiata

man-wirdu, man-yoku

6

Fruit eaten

Petalostigma pubescens

man-bedde

6

Children play with immature fruit*

Eucalyptus tetradonta

man-buluddak

5

Bark used for bark paintings, inner bark and leaves are medicinal*

Cymbidium canaliculatum

durda, nyarlkkan, djalamardi

5

Sticky sap used as a paint fixative

Tamarindus indica

djambang

5

Fruit eaten

Xanthostemon paradoxus

man-riyak, ?man-burlu

5

?

Banksia dentata

man-limbidj

4

Dried seed pods used to comb hair, can be carried smouldering for long distances to light new fires

Eucalyptus bleeseri

man-kalarr, ?man-djuwi

4

Medicinal resin*

Persoonia falcata

man-dark

4

Fruit eaten, medicinal inner bark and leaves*

Sterculia quadrifida

nawurleb

4

Seeds eaten, medicinal inner bark*, fibres used to make string

Barringtonia acutangula

man-manjarr, rdangki

3

Crushed leaves used as fish poison*

Calytrix exstipulata

man-barnabbarna, ?man-barndarr

3

Mosquito repellent*

Capparis umbonata

man-djiliwirn

3

Fruit eaten, medicinal bark and leaves*

Cartonema spicatum

dikkala

3

Edible yam

Crinum arenarium (prev. C. angustifolium)

kurlumudduk, kolomoddok

3

Poisonous, associated folklore, medicinal bulb and leaves*

Eucalyptus clavigera

djanorro

3

Ash from bark mixed with tobacco*

Ficus racemosa

warnwarnh

3

Fruit eaten, canoe made from trunk*

Vitex glabrata

man-kurndalh

3

Fruit eaten

Acacia dimidiata

man-borrelk

2

?

Casuarina equisetifolia

djarah

2

?

Eucalyptus grandifolia

kolokkolo

2

?

Eucalyptus polycarpa

man-bune

2

?

Pandanus aquaticus

man-djimdjim

2

Leaf base eaten

Planchonia careya

man-wadberr

2

Fruit eaten, medicinal inner bark*, fish poison*

Acacia auriculiformis

birlibirlih

1

Bark ash mixed with tobacco*, medicinal leaves*

Acacia gonocarpa

man-bulkung

1

?

Acacia holosericea

man-merrulk

1

Hard wood for artefacts*, leaves used as soap and fish poison*, edible seeds*

Acacia platycarpa

barlarra

1

?

Alphitonia excelsa

dird

1

Leaves have saponins*

Alstonia actinophylla

namoroddo

1

Canoe made from trunk*

Amyema sanguineum

man-djinirrinj

1

Fruit eaten*

Bombax ceiba

kordow

1

Making canoes and artefacts*

Clerodendrum floribundum

man-molorrk

1

Tap root is edible after roasting (emergency food)*, medicinal uses*

Eucalyptus ptychocarpa

man-korlangrlang

1

?

Eucalyptus ferruginea

man-dangdang

1

?

Hakea arborescens

?man-bardderre

1

Medicinal inner bark*

Hibiscus menzeliae

manyalhmanyalh

1

Fibres used to make string,

Jacksonia dilatata

?wayarramono, ?wayarramurrngo

1

Medicinal inner bark*

Leptospermum longifolium

man-wurrkula

1

?

Melaleuca argentea

man-murrmu

1

Bark for building shelters, medicinal leaves*

Melaleuca cajuputi

wendelwendel

1

Medicinal leaves*

Melaleuca dealbata

djarrkah

1

?

Melaleuca symphocarpa

man-domoddomo

1

?

Mimusops elengi

dalinga

1

?

Protasparagus racemosus

birndiyay

1

Medicinal root

Tacca leontopetaloides

karlanj

1

Yam and fruit eaten

Vigna vexillata

burlkud

1

Edible yam