The Wonder Wattle

They’re everywhere. In fact they’re so common many visitors don’t even notice them. Until October that is, when clouds of lemon yellow flowers swallow up their sparse branches and conceal their spines. For a few brief weeks we are charmed by the elegance of Acacia victoriae.

Described as the most abundant plant species in the Flinders Ranges¹, and cursed as a woody weed by some on the land, there is more to Acacia victoriae than meets the eye. Long harvested, roasted and milled by Aboriginal groups in arid areas, the seeds contain an astonishing 33% more protein than wheat. Gluten-free, and with a low glycemic index, wattleseed foods are ideal for diabetics and coeliacs (people with a permanent intolerance of dietary gluten). Wattleseed products include pasta, biscuits, bread, cereals, muesli bars, salsas, savoury sauces, curries, jams, pavlova, ice-cream and a coffeesubstitute. Most wattleseed used in the native food industry is Acacia victoriae, collected, under permit, from the wild. An even greater health benefit has been discovered by researchers in Colarado².

Compounds called avicins, extracted from Acacia victoriae have been used to suppress the development of skin cancer in mice. The avicins work by inducing death in malignant cells. The anti-cancer agents in Acacia victoriae may be used in the future for the treatment of human skin cancers and other malignancies of the gut and glands. “The study of these evolutionarily ancient compounds may represent an interesting paradigm for the application of chemical ecology and chemical biology to human health”.

Acacia victoriae grows in arid areas and tolerates drought conditions. It is easily propagated from seed and lives for 10 -15 years. But a word of warning before you rush out and establish a plantation. It seems that corellas have already discovered the health benefits of Acacia victoriae seeds.

¹Flinders Ranges Management Review 1989 ² Centre for Cancer Causation & Prevention, Cancer Research Centre, Denver, Colorado. www.glycemicindex.com, www.coeliac.org.au

www.arkaroola.com.au