Cyathea dealbata, Cyathea medullaris.
Botanical name:
Cyathea dealbata Swartz. Cyatheaceae. Silvery Tree-Fern.
The pith of this tree-fern is said to be eaten in New Zealand.
Cyathea medullaris Swartz. Black-Stemmed Tree-Fern.
The pith of this plant, a coarse sago, is eaten in times of scarcity in New Zealand. In the Voyage of the Novara it is said that the whole stalk, often 20 feet high, is edible and is sufficient to maintain a considerable number of persons. The pith, when cooked and dried in the sun, is an excellent substitute for sago. It is also to be found in Queensland and the Pacific isles.
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick.
