Which Bumpy Satinash is the fruit of the month?
by Tony Irvine “Gee this cassowary has been having a good feed” uttered Sam Mcoy to his two friends, Betty Bunyji, a Ngajonji woman and Danny Janggaburru, a Tableland Yidinyji man as they wandered around the rain forests at Gadgarra in Yidinyji country. “Too right” said Danny, “and most of the fruit belongs to muruul. There must be a muruul tree close by.” They walked a little further and suddenly the dark forest was lit up by a tree with clusters of large white fruit approaching the size of small apples that occurred on bumpy gall-like areas on the tree’s trunk. Very immature and mature fruits were present and some had fallen onto the ground. Some of the younger fruits had a pinkish blush but the older fruits were mostly white. “Our name, muruu is very similar to your name” Betty said to Danny “but if we give it an English name, we call it White Apple.” “So do we,” said Danny. “Ah but the proper English name is Bumpy Satinash” said Danny authoritatively, “and its scientific name is Sy
