Burchardia congesta

Common name: Milkmaids

Meaning of name:

Burchardia honours Johann Heinrich Burckhard (1676 – 1738), a German botanist. Congesta is from the Latin word congestus, meaning brought or heaped together.

Aboriginal Name:

Kara.

Aboriginal Use:

The tubers of Burchardia congesta were eaten raw or roasted on coals.

Distribution:

Occurs in the southwest of Western Australia.

Description:

The flower stems are up to 60 centimetres tall above slender leaves. The white flowers, produced from August to October, have yellow anthers.

Notes:

The colour of the anthers is the easiest way to separate Burchardia congesta and Burchardia multiflora. Burchardia multiflora has purple anthers.

References:

Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings, a Glossary. FA Sharr. 1996.

Flora of the Perth Region. NG Marchant, JR Wheeler, BL Rye, EM Bennett, NS Lander, TD Macfarlane. 1987.

Bush Tucker Plants of the South-West. B Daw, T Walley, G Keighery. 1997.

Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2912917

Florabase https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/12770