NARROW LEAVED GEEBUNG Persoonia linearis Seeds

A Shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria, It reaches 3 m, or occasionally 5 m, in height and has thick, dark grey papery bark

The yellow flowers appear in Summer and Autumn Once established it can tolerate extended dry periods and is frost hardy

Part shade to Full sun and a well drained acid soil

Bush food: The fruits are edible, ripe after they have fallen from the tree described both as like over ripe rock melon and like sweet cotton wool The fleshy fibrous covered seed is first squeezed from the skin, then sucked and chewed

In the Kimberley region fruit of local species are reportedly roasted, crushed and stored in paperbark

Bush medicine: While there is limited documentation of the medicinal applications of New South Wales Persoonia, it is important to note that the Wiradjuri Language people of the Hunter Valley, NSW, hold a deep reverence for the geebung fruit, likely derived from P linearis One of the reported uses among this community involves applying the fruit’s juice to treat localized skin infections caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, as well as other skin conditions such as psoriasis

Other uses: String and fishing lines were soaked in a Geebung bark infusion, probably to help prevent fraying