Terminalia ferdinandiana (Gubinge)
Terminalia ferdinandiana, better known as Gubinge, Billygoat Plum or Kakadu Plum, is a spreading tree that can grow up to 14m, the bark is a mottled grey, leaves are pale green (bright lime green when young and often suffused pink), the flowers are creamy white-yellow and have a strong nectar smell. Ripe fruits are whitish green, sometime tinged with pink. The Gubinge tree can be found along dry creek beds, cliff tops, coastal vine thickets and sand dunes, it is native to Western Australia. Gubinge is one of the aboriginal superfoods. It has been confirmed to be the highest natural source of vitamin C on the planet even higher than the camu camu berry of the peruvian amazon. The skin and flesh can be eaten raw. They have a pleasant, acidic taste, although in some specimens the taste can be very salty. It is now known as the richest source of vitamin C of any fruit in the world, with levels over 900 times higher than the same weight of blueberries. T. ferdinandiana was also used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of numerous ailments. The fruit were eaten by Australian Aborigines on long treks or hunting trips and were considered more valuable as a medicine rather than as a food. The inner bark of the tree is used to treat a variety of skin disorders and infections including wounds, sores and boils. It is also effective in controlling fungal infections such as ringworm, and in the treatment of bacterial infections including its use in treating leprosy. A recent study has reported on the antibacterial activity of T. ferdinandiana.
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