Persoonia falcata

Persoonia falcata grows as a woody shrub or small tree, anywhere from 1 to 9 m (3.3 to 29.5 ft) high. The thick dark grey bark is layered and flaky. The pale green-grey leaves are 8–35 cm (3.1–13.8 in) long and 0.4–3 cm (0.16–1.18 in) wide, and oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate or falcate in shape. The yellow flowers appear from June to November. The yellow-green fruit, known as drupes, appear from October to February. Edible, they are eaten raw by local aborigines.

Persoonia falcata ranges across a broad swathe of northern Australia, generally within 300 km (190 mi) of the coastline. In the northwest of Western Australia it is found in the Great Sandy Desert and vicinity of Broome, eastwards across the Northern Territory into northern Queensland, with the Blackdown Tableland marking the southeastern limit of its range. It grows along watercourses, gorges and sandstone outcrops, generally on sandstone-based or alluvial soils. It is also found on granite-based and lateritic soils, and rarely clay. It grows in Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, or mixed open woodland communities.

Attempts to grow Persoonia falcata at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney and Melbourne have failed, as plants planted into soil have perished. Aborigines would use a solution infused with wood and bark as an eye wash, and drink an infusion from the leaves to treat chest colds and diarrhoea. Leaves could also be applied to circumcision wounds.