''Austrodolichos'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

family,

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It belongs to the subfamily

Faboideae The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the subfamily is Papilionoideae, or Papilionaceae when this group of plants is treated as a family. This subfamily is widely ...

. It includes a single species, ''Austrodolichos errabundus'', native to northern Australia.

Description

These plants are vines with tuberous roots. The stems are covered in simple hairs. Leaves are 3-foliolate with upper surfaces darker than the lower surface. The inflorescences are axillary, with one or two stemmed pink to purple flowers.

Uses

Root tubers of ''Austrodolichos'' species have been traditional food for Aborigines of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

.NTFlora Northern Territory Flora online:
''Flora of the Darwin Region: Fabaceae.''
Retrieved 10 June 2018

References

Phaseoleae Monotypic Fabaceae genera Fabales of Australia Endemic flora of Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Flora of Western Australia {{Phaseoleae-stub