Ipomoea calobra

Ipomoea calobra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Convolvulaceae
Genus:	Ipomoea
Species:	I. calobra
Binomial name
Ipomoea calobra W.Hill & F.Muell.[1]

Ipomoea calobra, commonly known as weir vine, is an Australian native plant[2] found in northern Australia, largely Western Australia and Queensland.[3]

Description

It is a climber growing up to 6 m high, with purple-blue-pink trumpet flowers from January to June.[2]

Habitat

It occurs on undulating plains, dunes, and hardpans in red sandy and clayey soils, and pebbly loam,[2] and is often found twined up mulga and other acacias.[4]

Uses

The tubers of this species are edible, and were a highly favoured staple food source (bush tucker) for Indigenous Australians.[4] The mature tubers are broadly similar nutritionally to sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), with higher concentrations of starch, potassium (K), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn).[5]

Aboriginal names

In some parts of Australia, I. calobra is also known to Aboriginal people by the following names:[5]

• Murchison-Gascoyne area (WA): kulyu
• Tjupan Ngalia group (Leonora, WA): wutha/wather

References

1. "Ipomoea calobra". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
2. Grazyna Paczkowska (8 November 1996). "Ipomoea calobra W.Hill & F.Muell. Weir Vine". FloraBase. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
3. "Occurrence records". The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH). Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
4. Low, Tim (1991). Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus & Robertson. p. 163. ISBN 0207169306.
5. Woodall, G.; Moule, M.; Eckersley, P.; Boxshall, B.; Puglisi, B. (2010). "New Root Vegetables for the Native Food Industry: Promising Selections from south Western Australia's tuberous flora (09/161)" (PDF). Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. Retrieved 16 February 2021.