Herb latin name: Persoonia mollis


Family: Proteaceae



Edible parts of Persoonia mollis:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent but astringent. The fruit has a sweet fibrous pulp that is fixed to one large seed, it tastes somewhat like sweet cotton wool and is relished by the Australian Aborigines.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
180 cm
(6 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Heaths, wet and dry sclerophyll forests on sandy and stony soils.

Propagation of Persoonia mollis:

Seed - scarify the seed and sow it in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Keep the seed tray in a sunny position during the following summer and the seed should germinate in the autumn. About 46% germination can be expected. Carefully prick the young seedlings out into individual pots within 1 - 2 days of emerging, the root is very brittle and plants are easily killed. Grow the plants on in the greenhouse for at least their first 2 winters and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Give some protection from winter cold for at least their first winter outdoors.

Cultivation of the herb:

Heaths, wet and dry sclerophyll forests on sandy and stony soils.

Medicinal use of Persoonia mollis:

None known

Known hazards of Persoonia mollis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.