Practical
Plants

Eustrephus latifolius

Wombat Berry

a perennial woody member of the Eustrephus genus in the family Philesiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw. It has very little flesh[2][6]. The orange berry is about 10mm in diameter[7]. Root - raw[5]. Juicy with a sweet flavour[3][6], but barely worth the effort of excavating them[6]. The roots bear small tubers up to 3cm long[6]. It has been suggested that these tubers are probably capable of enlargement through cultivation[6].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Root

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria.
Habitat
Open forests, extending into dry woodlands and rainforests[6].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a sheltered position with plenty of humus in the soil[1]. Succeeds in heavy shade in Australian gardens, requiring shade in most soil types[4]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it can succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[1]. It tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[4], but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. Plants require support by tying[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩

  3. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩

  4. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  6. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0730104001

    ↩

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