Eustrephus

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Speciesbox |taxon = Eustrephus latifolius |image = Eustrephus latifolius 7.jpg |image_caption = Flowers |status = LC |status_system = QLDNCA |status_ref = {{R|DESQLD}} |parent_authority = R.Br. |authority = R.Br.<ref name=APNI/><ref name=Laferriere-1995/> }}

'''''Eustrephus''''' is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains a single species) in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae.<ref name=APNI/><ref name=Chase-et-al.-2009/> The sole species is '''''Eustrephus latifolius''''', commonly known as '''wombat berry'''. It is an evergreen vine native to Malesia, the Pacific Islands and eastern Australia. It grows in sclerophyll forest, woodland, heathlands, shrublands, gallery forest and rainforests.<ref name="RFK8"/><ref name=NSW-PlantNet/>

The leaves are highly variable in shape, elliptic to linear, {{Convert|30|–|100|mm|in|abbr=on}} long and {{Convert|3|–|35|mm|in|abbr=on}} wide. All leaf veins are equally distinct. Flowers are pink to mauve or white. The yellow-orange, globose, capsules are {{Convert|1|–|2|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} diameter and contain numerous black seeds partly enclosed in a white aril.<ref name=NSW-PlantNet/> The variation in the shapes of the leaves has resulted in the creation of numerous infraspecific taxa over the years, none of which are recognised by most present-day systematists.<ref name=Laferriere-1995/>

==Uses== The tubers are edible and have a sweet flavour.{{R|TIMLOW}} The 1889 book ''The Useful Native Plants of Australia'' records that this plant "produces sweet though only small tubers, which, however, are probably capable of enlargement through culture (Mueller)."{{R|MAIDEN}}

==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> File:McKay Eustrephus latifolius 32392729721 756ca669ce o.jpg|Foliage and fruit File:Wombat berry flower bud snowy river by Echidna Walkabout.jpg|Flowers, and very broad leaves File:Eustrephus latifolius fruit.jpg|Plant with long narrow leaves File:P1240694 - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg|Fruit: black seed in white aril </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist | 27em | refs= <ref name="DESQLD">{{cite web |url=https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=15339 |title=Species profile—''Eustrephus latifolius'' |year=2022 |website=Queensland Department of Environment and Science |publisher=Queensland Government |access-date=31 January 2024}}</ref>

<ref name=APNI> {{Cite web | title= ''Eustrephus''% | url= http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?TAXON_NAME=Eustrephus%25 | access-date= 11 Dec 2013 | type= listing by % wildcard matching of all taxa relevant to Australia | work= Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) database | publisher= Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government }} </ref>

<ref name=Laferriere-1995> {{Cite journal | last1= Laferrière | first1= Joseph E. | year= 1995 | title= Nomenclature and type specimens in ''Eustrephus'' R.Br. and ''Geitonoplesium'' Hook. (Geitonoplesiaceae) | journal= Austrobaileya | volume= 4 | issue= 3 | pages= 391–399 | jstor= 41738875}} </ref>

<ref name=Chase-et-al.-2009> {{Cite journal | last1= Chase | first1= M. W. | last2= Reveal | first2= J. L. | last3= Fay | first3= M. F. | year= 2009 | title= A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae | journal= Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society | volume=161 | issue=2 | pages=132–136 | doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x| name-list-style=amp | doi-access= free }} </ref>

<ref name="RFK8">{{cite web |author=F.A.Zich |author2=B.Hyland |author3=T.Whiffen |author4=R.A.Kerrigan |access-date=27 May 2021 |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/Eustrephus_latifolius.htm |title=Eustrephus latifolius |website=Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants (RFK8) |publisher=Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government}}</ref>

<ref name=NSW-PlantNet> {{Cite web | url= http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eustrephus~latifolius | last1= Harden | first1= Gwen J. | year= 2001 | title= ''Eustrephus latifolius'' R.Br. ex Ker Gawl. – New South Wales Flora Online | work= PlantNET – The Plant Information Network System | location= Sydney, Australia | publisher= The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust | version= 2.0 | access-date= 11 Dec 2013 }} </ref>

<ref name="TIMLOW">{{cite book |last=Low |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Low |title=Wild Food Plants of Australia |date=1998 |publisher=Angus & Robertson Publishers |location=Sydney |isbn=0-207-16930-6 |url=https://www.timlow.com/wild-food-plants/ |page=122 }}</ref>

<ref name="MAIDEN">{{cite book |last=Maiden |first=J. H. |title=The Useful Native Plants of Australia, (Including Tasmania) |date=1889 |publisher=The Technological Museum of New South Wales |location=Sydney |page=30 |access-date=13 October 2025 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12453210 }}</ref> }}

Category:Bushfood Category:Flora of Queensland Category:Flora of New South Wales Category:Flora of Victoria (state) Category:Asparagales of Australia Category:Monotypic Asparagaceae genera Category:Lomandroideae