Subject: Re: tropical plants species listing

From: "Rene and Lorraine van Raders" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 19:06:16 -0800

some more plants

Amaranthaceae
(these are all herbs)
Alternanthera sp... not sure what it is..but many are edible
Amaranthus sp..a few different spp including weeds.  We use them mostly as
cooked veges, although grains are edible (but small and not always easy to
winnow). Grow easily, self seed.
Iresine herbstii (bloodleaf) - ornamental, leaves can be squeezed in water
to obtain a red food dye.

Anacardiaceae
(these are all fruit trees)
Anacardium occidentale (cashew)... we've killed a couple of seedlings, but
have one two years old now.. edible nut and "apple".
Buchanania arborescens (little gooseberry tree).. an Australian native...
fruit tastes good, our two trees are still very young.
Harpephyllum caffrum (kaffir plum).. large tree with small red fruit,
tasted ok I seem to recall, our tree very small still.
Mangifera indica (mango).. we have bowen and stringy mangoes which haven't
given fruit yet, and a banana mango which has given some delicious fruit,
even though still young.  The trees grow easily, but our climate is a
little too wet (drizzle in winter) for most varieties.. on the coast or in
drier country they are an ideal species.  Flowers and young leaves also
edible and the seed can also be prepared.
Pleiogynium solandri (burdekin plum).. native fruit with ok flavour when
fully mature.  Better suited to dry tropics.
Spondias dulcis..(hog plum, ambarella).. nice fruit, but fruit fly attacks
and skin discolouring is a problem.  Young leaves are supposed to be
pleasant to eat raw or cooked.  Our trees are young but growing well...
attractive trees, many fruit.

Annonaceae
(these are all fruit trees)
Custard Apple exactly which one I don't know... none bearing yet. 
Seedlings are very slow but tough.  About half of our grafted trees didn't
survive the dry unirrigated first year.  Those that did look good now. A
few diff varieties.

Annona muricata (soursop)... not bearing yet.  Great fruit.. can't wait. A
few diff varieties.

Annona squamosa (sugar apple).. not bearing yet.

Asimina triloba (American pawpaw)... seedling died /// temperate?

Rollinia deliciosa and R. mucosa... one of them has given many wonderful
fruit after only a few years.  Easy to grow.

Polyalthia nitidissima .. Australian bushfood..haven't tried the fruit yet.
 Two trees left after one 3 yr old tree just up and died.

Bye for now
Rene

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From: Fiona Campbell + Russ Grayson <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 19:06:03 +1200

Rene and Lorraine van Raders wrote:
> Amaranthus sp.

Amaranthus seeds can also be popped like popcorn.

-- 
PACIFIC EDGE PERMACULTURE
Russ Grayson and Fiona Campbell
PO Box 446, Kogarah NSW 2217 AUSTRALIA

Phone   02-9588 6931    (IDD-61+2+9588 6931)
Fax     9514 2611 (Mark fax: ATTN: RUSS GRAYSON - APACE) 
          (IDD-61+2+9514 2611)
Email: [email-masked]

Permaculture education, publishing, design. 
NSW co-ordinator, Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.

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From: Fiona Campbell + Russ Grayson <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 19:06:03 +1200