fall and drought where they can survive in a state of dormancy until favorable conditions return.Spinifex species are usually divided into two informal groups based on their different growth forms, distributions and physiology. The so-called 'hard' species (which include, among others, Triodia basedowii E.Pritz., Triodia irritans R.Br., Triodia longiceps J.M.Black and Triodia wiseana C.A.Gardner) have closely packed, rigid leaves which are almost impossible to touch, while 'soft' species (which include, among others, Triodia bynoei (C.E.Hubb.) Lazarides, Triodia helmsii (C.E.Hubb.) Lazarides, Triodia microstachya R.Br. and Triodia pungens R.Br.) have relatively loosely arranged, less rigid leaves that can be comparatively more easily handled. Soft species tend to be more common in the northern half of the continent where they form a more or less continuous cover, rather than the discrete, rounded hummock habit of the hard species (Moore 2005:210; see Figure 1). The primary difference between the soft and hard spinifex groups relates to their ability to produce resin. As detailed by Burbidge (1946),
The Point of Spinifex: Aboriginal uses of spinifex grasses in AustraliaHeidi T. Pitman and Lynley A. Wallis
Research AbstractFor thousands of years spinifex grasses were utilized by Indigenous Australians, most commonly for the production of resin that was then used as a hafting adhesive. While varying levels of knowledge about this particular use are retained in Indigenous communities, museum collections serve as a valuable repository of little known information about a multitude of other uses of spinifex including ornamental, medicinal, structural and ceremonial functions. In this paper we describe the range of uses of spinifex, based on examinations of objects and photographs held in various museum collections, coupled with reviews of the ethnographic and ethnohistoric literature. This study (1) brings together disparate sources of knowledge about Indigenous uses of spinifex that are not well known among the scientific community and (2) demonstrates the value of museum collections for Indigenous communities seeking to 'reconnect' with aspects of socalled 'lost traditional culture'.