Bamboo Shirt Skinny Bush Banana - Kingston Grange

‘Purrpalanji’ (skinny bush banana [Rhyncharrhena linearis]) is a twining climber with thin leaves and pink-brown flowers. Its bean-like edible pods are long and skinny, and can grow up to 20 cm long. It is fire tolerant and grows quickly whenever moisture is available. Like ‘yuparli’ (bush banana [Marsdenia australis]), all of the plant is eaten aside from the woody stems.

This ‘purrpalanji Jukurrpa’ (skinny bush banana Dreaming) comes from Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs), a large waterhole and natural spring to the west of Yuendumu, close to Mount Doreen. Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men are the ‘kirda’ (owners) of the skinny bush banana Dreaming at Pikilyi. Nangala women and Jangala men are the ‘kurdungurlu’ (custodians) of this Dreaming.