Twining Glycine, Lover’s Twine
Glycine clandestina
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A twining plant. It grows 0.3-2 m tall. The rootstock is woody. The stems are slender. The leaves are compound and 1-4 cm long. There are 3 narrow, dark-green leaflets. The leaflets are 1-4 cm long by 0.4-1.2 cm wide. They are hairy and with a small point at the tip. Flowers are in clusters of 6-20 in erect groups in the axils of leaves. Flowers are pea shaped and pale blue to purple. The fruit is a short pod. It is fat. The pod is 3 cm long by 0.4 cm wide.
There are 10 Glycine species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in warm coastal locations to cold sub-alpine. It can grow in dry desert regions and high rainfall forests. It needs well drained soil. Forms from near the coast can suffer frost damage. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin), Britain, Europe, Tasmania (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
The taproot is edible but not particularly enjoyable.
Edible parts
Root
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. The seed need to be soaked in boiling water to get them to grow.