I found some quandong nuts

Tweet

I was quite excited to see a quandong tree (Santalum acuminatum) while walking round Elachbutting Rock. I thought I took a photo of the fruits on the tree but somehow I missed the fruits and only have some branches. There were a lot of quandong nuts on the ground and I picked some up to bring home. The nuts were once used in Chinese checkers games as they are just the right size. The quandong is hemiparasitic meaning its roots reach out to 10 metres to cling onto other root systems and make use of water and nutrients from the other plant. When the fruits ripen, they turn bright red and can be stewed and eaten. It’s designated as a tall shrub or small tree. The photo shows (top to bottom) the fruits on the tree, taken on a previous trip, then the seeds I collected and finally a Chinese checkers set complete with quandong nut counters.