Blue Yam / Blue Trumpet
Origin of name
Family: ACANTHACEAE
- Brunoniella in honour of Robert Brown
- acaulis meaning “without a stem“
Occurrence
A local, ground-cover plant of open forest & woodlands.
Common on many soil types in Townsville area, especially clay soils in eucalypt woodland. Can grow amongst grasses and small shrubs, but also in full sun.
Appearance
A prostrate herb usually with a very short, unbranched stem. Leaves form a basal rosette. Roots with underground tubers (20-50 mm long x 8-10 mm diameter). Flowers blue-mauve, on stems ~2 cm tall.
Indigenous use: Tubers eaten raw or roasted & said to taste like sweet potato. Caterpillars of Blue Argus butterfly eat the leaves.
Image coming soon