Haemodorum coccineum (bunyagutjagutja,Bula’bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation (2013) at http://www.bulabula-arts.com/Site/our-art/aboriginal-fibre-art.html . Accessed 2 September 2013 bloodroot,Wrigley, J.W. and Fagg, M. 2007 Australian Native Plants, Reed New Holland, Sydney, Australia menang, scarlet bloodroot,Atlas of Living Australia website at http://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=haemodorum+coccineum. Accessed 2 September 2013 red rootSmith, N., 2007, Native Plants for Top End Gardens, Greening Australia (NT) Ltd, Darwin, Australia) is a flowering plant in the same family as kangaroo paw.
Description
A perennial herbBrock, J., 1988 Top End Native Plants, John Brock, Darwin, Australia to one meter high. Although it is not grass, it has a grass-like appearance, with strap-like, narrow, leathery leaves arising from the base of the plant.
Flowering usually occurs between November and March, during the Top End wet season, however flowers have been observed as early as October and as late as May. The flowers are deep-red or orange red and occur in dense clusters on long stiff stalks, which also arise from the base of the plant.
Fruit develop between November and March, and can linger until May. The fruit are red to black, fleshy capsules with three lobes. The mature fruit release a red-purple juice when crushed.
Distribution and habitat Found in the Top End of the Northern Territory,The Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria (2013) Australia’s Virtual Herbarium. http://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?taxa=Haemodorum+coccineum#tab_mapView [Accessed 2 September 2013] Northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Occurs in open woodland habitats on gravelly or shallow lateritic soils and sandstone.
Uses
Dyes Indigenous Australians use this plant to make red, brown and purple dyes for coloring plant fibres.Artback Northern Territory Arts Touring (2007) Recoil Education Kit at http://www.artbacknt.com.au/images/arts/recoil/pdf/teachersnotes.pdf. Accessed 2 September 2013
The bulbous red root is chopped or crushed and boiled in water to release the red-brown dyes, while the purple shades are made from H. coccineum fruit.
Fibres such as the stripped leaves of Pandanus spiralis or the new leaves of Livistona humilis are added to the dye-bath, and later the colored fibre is used to make items such as baskets (Pandanus), string bags (Livistona) and fibre sculptures.
Other uses Suitable as a bedding or edging plant in native gardens.
The fruits can be used in floral arrangements.
Some sources report Indigenous Australians used the plant to treat snake-bite, and the dry stalks were used as fire-sticks.
Propagation and cultivation Haemodorum coccineum can be propagated from seed. Vegetative propagation can be achieved by dividing the bulbous root.
Plants prefer a well-drained sandy or gravelly soil and full sun. In the dry season the plant will usually die back, leaving the underground rootstock to regenerate later in the year.
References
External links Wildflowers of the Darwin Region Australian Native Plants Society (Australia)