The leadwood is a member of the Combretaceae family which encompasses over 500 species of trees and shrubs found extensively through tropical and subtropical regions of the world. So, it is no surprise that the family is well represented in Northern Australia, predominantly by the genus Terminalia.
In Southern Asia Terminalia have been studied extensively due to their wide usage in traditional medicine systems where it has been found that they have had remarkable effectiveness as anticancer, antifungal, antimicrobial, antimalarial and antioxidant treatments.
Researchers at Charles Darwin University studying Terminalia ferdinandiana (an important bush tucker in Northern Australia) have found that not only is it high in antioxidants but it has the greatest concentration of vitamin C of any fruit known worldwide.
Aboriginal groups on the Dampier Peninsula and south to Eighty Mile Beach may not have known the precise chemical properties of yaminyarri/gabiny/gubinge but they most certainly knew that when it was available it countered cold and flu symptoms and was good to eat.
Gubinge has been widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens throughout the West Kimberley where it makes an attractive medium sized tree producing the much sought-after fruit within two to three years of planting.
Efforts have been made to plant it on a quasi-commercial basis but to date it has been unsuccessful. However, there is a thriving cottage industry and Wild Gubinge (relying on wild picked fruit) sells products at the Broome Markets on weekends.
All up the Kimberley region boasts about 15 species of Terminalia and two others worthy of note are Terminalia canescens and Terminalia kumpaja.
Terminalia canescens is a common species found throughout the Kimberley favouring shallow rocky habitats, it has silvery grey foliage with rough tessellated bark and an upright habit. Its leaves are harvested to make joolangen or 'Sleepy Tea' which boast benefits of deeper sleep and a feeling of calm after ingestion. It is easily propagated from the flat winged seed which can be found in profusion beneath the tree from July to September.
Terminalia kumpaja or kumpaja as it's known by Karajarri and Nyangumarta people to the south of Broome, grows in pindan and favours sandhill vegetation. Good examples can be seen on the dune systems just north of Sandfire Roadhouse. It takes two forms; a small tree to eight metres in higher rainfall areas around Broome and on the Dampier Peninsula, and as a large spreading shrub in the south.
Pindan walnut are very deep rooted and spend their initial energy after germination to send down a long taproot which has the dual purpose of producing stability and accessing the plentiful ground water supplies. It produces a large nut (covered in purply black skin) which can be cracked open to reveal a delicious kernel about the size of an almond.
All three plants are suitable to grow in a small garden. I encourage everyone who can to grow one of them, hopefully this way we can get governments on all levels to appreciate what we have in Australia and support our bush tucker industry.
