Ipomoea calobra explained

Ipomoea calobra, commonly known as weir vine, is an Australian native plant^[1] found in northern Australia, largely Western Australia and Queensland.^[2]

Description

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

Habitat

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

Uses

The tubers of this species are edible, and were a highly favoured staple food source (bush tucker) for Indigenous Australians.^[3] The mature tubers are broadly similar nutritionally to sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), with higher concentrations of starch, potassium (K), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn).^[4]

Aboriginal names

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

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

Notes and References

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