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Copperfern

Shrub type: Coniferous (Stores water in its stem)

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 41 years. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous very thick, curved stems covered in delicate, knobbly, yellow-brown bark, and the wood inside is yellow.

The branches trail down towards the ground with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of huge, finger-like, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are solid green or white, with magenta lines, sturdy and smooth.

In late summer it produces many small, cyan blossoms with spiral petals. They are hardy and have a fairly strong scent that smells like old shoes.

In mid-autumn large perforated fruits ripen. The rough light green skin is thick and edible when roasted; it is sweet, and the crunchy copper flesh is savoury and powdery. The blood red seed is large and sits at the end of the fruit.

It is suitable for use as a construction material
The bark, wood and leaves are edible.
Their seeds have hallucinogenic properties.