These prints are also available at the Frances Keevil Gallery in Sydney, Emporium Botanica in Melbourne and Gallery 126 in Armidale NSW
The black bean is a large, spreading, Australian rainforest tree that grows to 35 metres tall. It has large red and yellow flowers, any time between July and January, which produce copious amounts of nectar attractive to many bird species, particularly lorikeets. The smooth, brown skin of the seed splits open to reveal a bright green inner seed that darkens with exposure to light. Although toxic, the seeds were eaten by aboriginals after cooking, scraping and soaking in running water for several days. The seeds germinate readily and the black bean makes an attractive indoor plant. The pods attracted me because of their texture and the way they twist and split with age. They are about 1ΒΌ times life size in this print. 