Pediomelum hypogaeum

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Pediomelum hypogaeum
Pediomelum hypogea2.PNG
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Pediomelum
Species:
P. hypogaeum
Binomial name
Pediomelum hypogaeum

Pediomelum hypogaeum (also known as Psoralea hypogaea) is a perennial herb also known as the little Indian breadroot or subterranean Indian breadroot. It is found on the black soil prairies in Texas.

Contents

Growth

It has an inflorescence on stems 5-6 centimeters long, separate from the leaves, arising from a subterranean stem and deep carrot-shaped root that is 3–7 cm long. The long petioled leaves are palmately divided into 5 linear-elliptic leaflets that are 3-5 centimeters long. The flowers, borne in condensed spikes separate from the leaves, are purple and pea-like, and have a surprisingly strong scent, reminiscent of lemon furniture polish. The species has edible tuberous roots, high in protein.

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<i>Pediomelum esculentum</i> Plant species in the pea family

Pediomelum esculentum, synonym Psoralea esculenta, common name prairie turnip or timpsula, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to prairies and dry woodlands of central North America, which bears a starchy tuberous root edible as a root vegetable. English names for the plant include tipsin, teepsenee, breadroot, breadroot scurf pea, large Indian breadroot, prairie potato and pomme blanche. The prairie turnip continues to be a staple food of the Plains Indians.

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<i>Pediomelum cuspidatum</i> Plant species in the pea family

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Pediomelum californicum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name California Indian breadroot. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodlands of the coastal mountain ranges. It is a perennial herb with no stem or a short stem that is mostly underground, leaving the plant at ground level. The compound leaves are each made up of five to seven oval leaflets which may be nearly 3 centimetres long. The inflorescence is a raceme of several blue or purple pealike flowers each about one centimetre long. The fruit is a hairy oval beak-tipped legume pod up to one centimetre long containing smooth kidney-shaped seeds.

Pediomelum castoreum is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names beaver Indian breadroot and beaver dam breadroot. It is native to the deserts around the intersection of California, Nevada, and Arizona, where it grows in local habitat including disturbed areas. It is a perennial herb with no stem or a short stem that is mostly underground, leaving the plant at ground level. The compound leaves are each made up of five or six oval leaflets which may be over 4 centimeters long. The leaf is borne on a long petiole. The inflorescence is a raceme of several blue or purple pealike flowers each roughly a centimeter long. The fruit is a hairy oval legume pod tipped with a long, curved beak. It contains ridged gray seeds each about 6 millimeters long.

<i>Perideridia gairdneri</i> Species of flowering plant

Perideridia gairdneri is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names common yampah, Gardner's yampah and Squaw root. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb which grows to around .6–1 metre (2.0–3.3 ft). Its slender, erect stem grows from cylindrical tubers measuring up to 8 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 35 centimeters long which are divided into many narrow, subdivided lobes. Leaves higher on the plant are smaller and less divided. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, rounded fruits each a few millimeters long.

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Pediomelum tenuiflorum, the slimflower scurfpea, is a perennial in the pea family. It is about 2–3 feet (0.6–0.9 m) tall and has a lot of leaves on top. Its leaves can reach a length of 3 inches (80 mm). This flower can be found mainly in the central and southwestern U.S.

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<i>Koenigia polystachya</i> Species of flowering plant

Koenigia polystachya is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family, known by the common names Himalayan knotweed and cultivated knotweed. It has several regularly used synonyms, including Polygonum polystachyum, Aconogonon polystachyum and Persicaria wallichii.

<i>Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Pyrrhopappus pauciflorus, commonly known as smallflower desert-chicory, Texas false dandelion or Texas dandelion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. It is a weedy annual found in prairies, clay soils and disturbed habitats such as fields and sidewalks.

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References

  1. NatureServe (2024). "Pediomelum hypogaeum". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.