Noongar Nation of southwestern Australia is dwelling to the world’s largest parasitic plant, a mighty mistletoe that blooms each December. That’s why it’s generally often known as WA’s Christmas Tree. However it additionally goes by different names, mungee and moodjar. And it holds nice significance for Noongar individuals together with the Merningar individuals of the south coast.

Whereas the distinctive biology and charisma of the species (Nuytsia floribunda) has been recognised by Conventional House owners for millennia, such wealthy Indigenous data is barely identified to Western science. Our analysis staff consists of three generations of Merningar alongside non-Indigenous scientists. In our new analysis, we got down to discover mungee’s physiology, ecology and evolution from each Indigenous and Western science views.

The plant’s capability to entry a big selection of sources is outstanding, enabling it to prosper within the hostile, infertile, however biologically wealthy landscapes of southwestern Australia. That is additionally the case for Noongar individuals, whose conventional weight loss plan displays the organic richness of their Nation.

Mungee is a revered trainer to Noongar individuals, with classes for us all about residing sustainably and in concord with each other.

Three generations of the Merningar Knapp household have contributed to this analysis: (left to proper) Harrison Rodd-Knapp, Jessikah Woods, her grandmother Lynette Knapp and mom Shandell Cummings, with flowering mungee close to Waychinicup, on Merningar Nation.
Alison Lullfitz, Writer supplied

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A sand-loving parasite

Nuytsia floribunda is widespread throughout Noongar Nation (Boodja) and identified to most Noongar as moodjar. However it’s additionally known as mungee by Merningar and different southern Noongar teams. Being principally Merningar, we name it mungee and use that time period right here.

Mungee is a mistletoe tree that grows as much as 10m tall in sandy soils. It’s endemic to southwestern Australia, however widespread all through. The parasitic functionality of the plant comes from extremely modified, ring-shaped roots (haustoria) that act like secateurs to mine different vegetation for water and vitamins.

We used “two method science” (cross-cultural ecology) strategies – together with a literature overview, shared recording of visits on Nation, and an creator workshop – to analyze mungee extra completely than could be potential by means of Western science alone.

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A revered trainer providing divine steerage

Like different Indigenous Australian data programs, Merningar lore is place-based. It inextricably hyperlinks individuals, particular locations, different organisms and non-living entities of Nation. Mungee tells particular tales by means of the place it lives, the vegetation it lives with, and when it flowers.

The species is broadly held as sacred amongst Noongar peoples. For Merningar, it has the best standing of all vegetation. Mungee holds essential lore about how we as people relate to one another and with the world round us, much like a cornerstone non secular textual content such because the Christian Bible.

For Merningar, mungee is a strong medium that helps stressed spirits transfer on to the afterlife, identified to us as Kuuranup. This permits these of us nonetheless residing to be untroubled by their presence.

Senior elder Lynette describes mungee as her trainer, offering steerage on easy methods to exist in Merningar Boodja. The annual summer time flowers signify her ancestors returning to their Nation, reminding her to cherish and respect each her previous individuals and her Boodja.

Lynette calls the ring-shaped haustoria of mungee her “bush lolly”. Below Merningar lore, digging for these candy treats just isn’t allowed when mungee is flowering. That is when bush lollies are scarce, so the rule is about residing inside seasonal constraints.

The specialised ring-shaped haustorium of the mungee tree Nuytsia floribundataps into the sources of different vegetation.
Mike Shayne

An instance of residing sustainably

Mungee primarily reproduces by cloning, sending out suckers as much as 100m from the mother or father plant to supply an identical copies. This leads to patches of mungee clones gathered collectively in tight-knit populations.

We noticed parallels between patches of mungee and the communal kinship constructions of Noongar society, the place household is extra essential than people.

Earlier than European settlement, prolonged Noongar households lived in largely separate teams, interconnected with different household teams as a part of a wider geopolitical system. We see mungee as a botanical exemplar of placing group earlier than people, for the larger good.

Mungee accesses water and vitamins by tapping into a variety of host vegetation. This range of hosts allows mungee to stay in many various landscapes. This parallels with the delicate, however typically place-specific data of Noongar peoples throughout their botanically wealthy Boodja, which has enabled use of a variety of conventional vegetation.

Residing a affluent life inside environmental boundaries is achieved by conservatively drawing upon a variety of sources. It offers a lesson for all who stay in dry and infertile areas reminiscent of southwestern Australia.

Mungee in full flower at Stirling Vary Nationwide Park, about 300km south-east of Perth.
Steve Hopper

A tree to be celebrated

Mungee’s vibrant orange flowers deliver pleasure to all who witness their show through the celebratory summer time months in southwestern Australia. The plant’s distinctive biology, ingenuity and charisma has lengthy been recognised by Noongar peoples and their lore.

Prolific annual flowers are a memorial to the various previous individuals who have cared for his or her Boodja by means of millennia. In addition they remind us to guard the previous peoples’ legacy.

To Merningar, mungee is a beneficial trainer and exemplar of affluent organic (together with human) existence within the southwest Australian international biodiversity hotspot. It has a lot to show the remainder of us, too.

Thynnid wasps (flower wasps) on a mungee flower at Torndirrup Nationwide Park, 10km south of Albany in WA.
Steve Hopper

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