Booyong – Tuckombil Edible Seeds (Tulip Oak a tasty morsel)

Argyrodendron species, Malvaceae
Synonyms: Tarrietia, Heritiera
Tulip Oak, Crowsfoot Elm, Stavewood, Ironwood, Hickory
Local Atherton Tableland: Birar, Birrarr, Birha, Peirir

I wanted to bring this information to the attention of others interested in Australian Bushfoods, as there is no other reference to the edibility of this seed that I could find. I would love to hear from anyone who has more information. I know Tulip Oaks were a species chosen for the harvest of grubs (local word - jumban), for flavour, and presumably quantity. The Malvaceae family has other edibles, and few known toxins, so the use of tulip oak seeds for food seems credible. (The English family of Malanda, originally came from the Richmond River area).

https://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Malvaceae.htm

Tuckombil is between Alstonville and Ballina NSW; Booyong is more inland and north – near Clune. The Richmond River area contained the Big Scub, a huge subtropical lowland rainforest region that was cleared with less than 1% remaining.

I have found different meanings for Tuckombil - the reference to scrub myrtle tree seems wrong.

Special thanks to the Eacham Historical Society, and Reg Starkey - this clipping was part of the Glenville Pike collection of papers. (I was unable to obtain a date for the article; Patrick English was secretary of the Malanda Show Society in 1948).