cycad

The nuts of the cycad are crushed into a pulp and toxins leached by placing the pulp in running water and then dried, made into a flour and cooked into a loaf.

Man-dirnku ngarri-ngun, la ka-banj yiman kordduk.
'We eat cycad [damper], but it smells like shit [during preparation].'

An-dirnku arri-ngowkme an-me ka-karrme.
The cycad has food, we grind it (the fruit).

Cycad to 6 metres high, deciduous, separate male and female plants. Leaves: pinnate, smooth, dark shiny-green fronds to 94 cm long, divided into 85- 155 stiff, flat, narrow, sharp pointed leaflets to 140 mm long and 7 mm wide. Male flowers are cones, rusty-brown, ovoid 12-23 cm long x 7-9 cm wide, consisting of numerous spirally arranged scales at the top of the trunk. Female flowers are spikes, flattened, hairy, pendulous, the blade triangular with sharp spines at tip and edges, usually 4 fruit on each spine. Fruit, hard smooth, roundish, 30-43 mm long x 26-38 mm diameter, brown when ripe. Found in lowland country in open forest and woodland.