Common Name:

General Information

Cullen badocanum is a stout, erect, perennial plant with stems that can become more or less woody and persist. It can grow 60 - 90cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a source of fibre.
Cullen badocanum has a wide distribution across northern Australia, and also in Papua New Guinea to the Phillipines. Moreover it is known to occur across several protected areas in its range and there are no major threats known to the species. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern Australia - Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland; New Guinea to the Philippines

Habitat

A pioneer plant of disturbed habitats, mainly in woodlands or grasslands where seasonally burned. Also in beds of ephemeral streams, on rocky ridges, or most commonly behind or among coastal dunes, commonly where swampy; at elevations to 600 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[]. Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[].
The plant is strongly scented.
An extremely variable species due mostly to the pubescence. It can be confused with Cullen martinii which has a shorter lower calyx-tooth and few dentate leaflets or with Cullen virens, which has much shorter leaflets[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[]. Roasted and eaten[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre used for making cordage is obtained from the stems[]. For this purpose the plants are pulled up and soaked some hours in water, after which they are taken out of the water and left to dry, when the bark is peeled off, and the fibre manufactured into strong twine and cordage[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in individual pots, or pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible in order to avoid root disturbance. Grow them on in the pots until planting out in their final positions. It is usually impossible to transplant this species without fatal damage to the root[].
Division with great care since the plant resents root disturbance. It is virtually impossible to divide this species successfully[].

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