Native plant well worth knowing (pic included)
Sept 18, 2018 20:13:13 GMT 10
SA Hunter and Peter like this
Post by spinifex on Sept 18, 2018 20:13:13 GMT 10
I have been getting out and about in places where visitors are uncommon. This pic is of a very useful native plant, part of a group of several species very important to Aboriginal people up until the 1980's across large areas of inland Australia. Native tobacco - the 'good' one. There are some that look very, very similar that are high in chemicals that will give a person the grandest headache of their life for a day or two and make then extremely sick if they consume it. Two species that grow in sheltered rocky gorges such as where this was pictured are good chewing tobacco (mixed with ash from select types of acacia bark). Never tried it myself, but I know a bloke who tried smoking this plant mixed with commercial tobacco (rather than chewing it) and he got very sick for a couple of days and never had another cigarette since. A rough cure for smoking for those interested in quitting.
It's better use, from a prepping or off-grid perspective is its insecticidal properties. Take a close look at the enlarged picture. Notice this verdant green plant has not a sign of insect damage on it. A decoction can be prepared from the leaves and sprayed on vegetable plants and is effective in detering and/or killing most insects - nicotine is a potent insecticide. If these plants had seed I'd have collected it to grow at home for that purpose.
(click to enlarge)
It's better use, from a prepping or off-grid perspective is its insecticidal properties. Take a close look at the enlarged picture. Notice this verdant green plant has not a sign of insect damage on it. A decoction can be prepared from the leaves and sprayed on vegetable plants and is effective in detering and/or killing most insects - nicotine is a potent insecticide. If these plants had seed I'd have collected it to grow at home for that purpose.
(click to enlarge)
