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Anmatyerre Language Group
"Anwekety (Bush Plum)"
60 x 45cm
Ref No: PN033676
The conkerberry, known as anwekety or bush plum, is a sweet black berry that is favoured by desert dwellers. They only grow for a few weeks of the year, however Polly's people collect plenty of them and store them dry, soaking them in water before consuming. The plant is a tangled, spiny shrub that can grow up to 2 metres high. After rain fragrant white flowers bloom. This plant also bears medicinal properties. The orange inner bark from the roots can be soaked in water and the sloution used as a medicinal wash, particularly favoured for skin and eye conditions.
Polly depicts the conkerberry in her dot work. The fruit looks very similar to
a plum and is often referred to as a 'bush plum'. The white overdotting represents the flowers of the plant.