About Lysiphyllum cunninghamii (Benth.) de Wit
Lysiphyllum cunninghamii (Benth.) de Wit grows as a shrub or tree reaching up to 12 meters in height, and occasionally reaches up to 18 meters. It has grey fissured or tessellated bark. Its inflorescences grow axillary on old wood, and bright red flowers appear between April and October. Large reddish-brown seed pods develop after flowering, from November to January. Nectar produced by the flowers attracts honeyeaters and native bees. This species drops its leaves during the dry season, and new leaves often emerge just before the rainy season begins. Its leaves have two lobes that are joined in a shape resembling butterfly wings. This plant occurs on red alluvial sandy and loamy soils. It grows most often in watercourses, on levees, flood plains, pindan, and along the margins of monsoonal forests. It is found within the following IBRA bioregions: Central Kimberley, Dampierland, Gascoyne, Great Sandy Desert, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plain, Pilbara, Victoria Bonaparte, and Katherine Region. The leaves and pods of Lysiphyllum cunninghamii are high in protein and minerals, and are used as fodder for livestock. The tree’s dense, weeping growth habit provides shelter from daytime heat for wallabies and other animals. Fires made from this tree’s wood burn without producing smoke, so the wood is commonly used for cooking. Its branches are used to create windbreaks. Aboriginal people traditionally suck nectar from the tree’s flowers. They prepare a decoction from the tree’s roots and inner bark, which is applied to the skin as an antiseptic and drunk to treat fevers and other illnesses. Ash from the tree is mixed with chewing tobacco and chewed. Another traditional use involves mixing the tree’s sap with its nectar to create a chewy, sweet gum known as "Turkish delight".
