Edible Wattle Seeds Of Southern Australia

This book identifies 47 Acacia species which have potential for cultivation in the southern semi-arid region of Australia as a source of seed for human consumption. Eighteen species are regarded as having the greatest potential. Botanical profiles are provided for these species, together with information on the natural distribution, ecology, phenology, growth characteristics and seed attributes. Two species, Acacia victoriae and Acacia murrayana, appear particularly promising as the seeds of both these have good nutritional characteristics and were commonly used as food by Aborigines. Acacia victoriae is currently the most important wattle used in the Australian bushfood industry. This book is a useful reference for the bush food industry.

Legume crops provide a significant sources of plant-based proteins for humans. Grain legumes present outstanding nutritional and nutraceutical properties as sources of bioactive components with benefits in human health, while they are affordable food that contributes to achieving future food and feed security. Furthermore, they are major ingredients in the Mediterranean diet, playing a vital role in developing countries. Global food security requires a major re-focusing of plant sciences, crop improvement and production agronomy towards grain legumes (pulse crops) over coming decades, with intensive research to identify cultivars with improved grain characteristics, helping to develop novel legume-derived products (foods) adapted to today consumer preference. In this context, studies dealing with legume processing impact such as soaking, boiling, microwave cooking, germination, and fermentation among others, in their nutritional and anti-nutritional (i.e., food allergy) properties are of great interest in these future food developments. This Research Topic aims to bring together a collection of studies for a better understanding of current research in legume seed compounds functional properties to provide an updated and global vision of the importance of legumes in human health.

Australian Native Plants: Cultivation and Uses in the Health and Food Industries provides a comprehensive overview of native food crops commercially grown in Australia that possess nutritional and health properties largely unknown on a global basis. These native foods have been consumed traditionally, have a unique flavor diversity, offer significant health promoting effects, and contain useful functional properties. Australian native plant foods have also been identified for their promising antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that have considerable commercial potential. This book is divided into three parts: The first part reviews the cultivation and production of many Australian native plants (ANP), including Anise Myrtle, Bush Tomato, Desert Raisin, Davidson’s Plum, Desert Limes, Australian Finger Lime, Kakadu Plum, Lemon Aspen, Lemon Myrtle, Muntries, Native Pepper, Quandong, Riberry, and Wattle Seed. It then examines the food and health applications of ANP and discusses alternative medicines based on aboriginal traditional knowledge and culture, nutritional characteristics, and bioactive compounds in ANP. In addition, it reviews the anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties of ANP and discusses food preservation, antimicrobial activity of ANP, and unique flavors from Australian native plants. The third section covers the commercial applications of ANP. It focuses on native Australian plant extracts and cosmetic applications, processing of native plant foods and ingredients, quality changes during packaging, and storage of Australian native herbs. The final few chapters look into the importance of value chains that connect producers and consumers of native plant foods, new market opportunities for Australian indigenous food plants, and the safety of using native foods as ingredients in the health and food sectors.

Indigenous Australians have long understood sustainable hunting and harvesting, seasonal changes in flora and fauna, predator–prey relationships and imbalances, and seasonal fire management. Yet the extent of their knowledge and expertise has been largely unknown and underappreciated by non-Aboriginal colonists, especially in the south-east of Australia where Aboriginal culture was severely fractured. Aboriginal Biocultural Knowledge in South-eastern Australia is the first book to examine historical records from early colonists who interacted with south-eastern Australian Aboriginal communities and documented their understanding of the environment, natural resources such as water and plant and animal foods, medicine and other aspects of their material world. This book provides a compelling case for the importance of understanding Indigenous knowledge, to inform discussions around climate change, biodiversity, resource management, health and education. It will be a valuable reference for natural resource management agencies, academics in Indigenous studies and anyone interested in Aboriginal culture and knowledge.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge about "wattles", a large clade of over 1000 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Acacia, most of which are native to Australia. It examines the biology, ecology, evolution, and biogeography of wattles in their native ranges, including the evolutionary forces that have driven past speciation and adaptation to diverse environments, the conservation status, uses and human perceptions of these species. It considers the different histories of the introductions and proliferation of wattles as alien species in different parts of the world since c. 1850 (the Anthropocene), situated within relevant political, socio-economic and scientific contexts, together with an analysis of how awareness of their impacts as invasive species has changed over time. Differences in the dynamics and trends associated with the introduction, naturalization and invasion of wattles in different parts of the world are reviewed. The book also synthesizes the global distribution of wattles using diverse data sources, alongside trends, patterns and projections of global uses of wattles. It discusses the genetics, biotic interactions, and ecological, economic and social impacts of invasive wattles. This book is aimed at academics and students in the field of ecology, and at managers of natural and anthropic ecosystems, policy-makers and regulators, and the general public interested in biology and environmental science.

Forest Trees of Australia is the essential reference for observing, identifying and obtaining information on the native trees in this country. It describes and illustrates over 300 of our most important indigenous trees, which have been carefully selected for their environmental significance, their importance to the timber industry, or their prominence in our landscape. This new and thoroughly revised edition has been fully updated throughout and includes treatments of 72 additional species. New maps and photographs show us a wonderfully diverse range of forests, from mangrove swamps, tropical regions and deserts, to alpine areas and majestic stands of temperate forests. A colour section illustrates some of the major forest types of Australia and bark from a diverse range of species. Forest Trees of Australia is an unsurpassed guide to identification for horticulturists, botanists, foresters, students, farmers, environmentalists and all those who are interested in our native trees.

The classic Australian guide - now fully revised and updated with nearly 300 of Australia's most important native trees.