SER in the News
The magic of morinda
28 January 2005
ABC News NT Country Hour
Along the coast of Arnhem land grows a small bush with yellow fruit. Known locally as cheesyfruit, it is in fact morinda.
Morinda is known throughout the world, with people swearing that the juice makes you feel well and that it has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory properties and more. Certainly the Djelk rangers at Maningrida agree that it has powerful qualities. "If you take a couple, say four or five, then you feel hot. If you eat it you will go numb, your mouth will go numb."
South Australian cosmetic company Jurlique has shown interest in having Morinda harvested by the Djelk rangers and they now have a morinda orchard of 200 bushes outside their ranger station.
But morinda is not the only extraordinary plant of Arnhem Land, and the ancient cycads have a market in town too. The rangers sell cycads to Greening Australia for the home garden market and also supply them to Charles Darwin University University for study.
Contributors:
Matthew Hood, Djelk ranger
Alistair James, Djelk ranger
Stuart Aiken, Djelk ranger
Victor Rostrum, Djelk ranger
