Common name: Kudzu
Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi APNI*
Description: Trailing or twining perennial herb with a large, edible tuber; stems c. 1–3 m long with appressed to spreading, grey to brown hairs.
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets ovate to rhombic, 7–15 cm long, 5–13 cm wide, unlobed to 3-lobed, apex acuminate, both surfaces sparsely appressed-pubescent, upper surface green, lower surface greyish green; petioles 8–13 cm long; stipules peltate, 8–16 mm long.
Racemes mostly 10–25 cm long including peduncle, 4–90-flowered; bracts linear. Calyx tube 2–3 mm long, teeth 4–9 mm long. Corolla 12–18 mm long; standard purple, blue or pink with a basal yellow spot; wings and keel purple.
Pod 5–9 cm long covered with rusty, spreading hairs.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalized in the Mullumbimby-Grafton district. Native of China to Japan.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Text by C. Gardner Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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