Perideridia gairdneri | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Apiales |
Family: | Apiaceae |
Genus: | Perideridia |
Species: | P. gairdneri |
Binomial name | |
Perideridia gairdneri | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
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. [1] 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). [2] 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.
The entire plant is edible, but caution should be maintained as it has a similar appearance to the carrot family's deadly water hemlock and poison hemlock. [2] It was an important food plant, even a staple food, for many Native American groups, including the Blackfoot, Northern Paiute, Cheyenne and Comanche. It would seem certain that the term yampa would be a version on the Comanche name for the tuber, variously yap, and yampa. One of the main divisions of the Comanche, the Yapainuu, were named the yap eaters, whose chief was the famous Ten Bears. More commonly referred to as the Yamparikas, this division roamed in the Northern Oklahoma area in historic times. [3] The tuberous roots could be eaten like potatoes, roasted, steamed, eaten fresh or dried, made into mush or pinole, used as flour and flavoring, and were also used medicinally. [3] Meriwether Lewis encountered the plant in 1805 and 1806, referring to it as a species of fennel. [2]
This food root is called cawíitx in Nez Perce, sawítk in Sahaptin and yap in Comanche. Blackfoot Indians knew the root by the name nits-ik-opa ("double root") [4] and by those tribes of the Pacific Northwest as either yampa, ipo, or sa'-hweet. [4]
Colocasia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions.
The Yampa River flows 250 miles (400 km) through northwestern Colorado, United States. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it is a tributary of the Green River and a major part of the Colorado River system. The Yampa is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the western United States, with only a few small dams and diversions.
Nymphaea is a genus of hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some taxa occur as introduced species where they are not native, and some are weeds. Plants of the genus are known commonly as water lilies, or waterlilies in the United Kingdom. The genus name is from the Greek νυμφαία, nymphaia and the Latin nymphaea, which means "water lily" and were inspired by the nymphs of Greek and Latin mythology.
Taro is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures. Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants.
Conopodium majus is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae. Its underground part resembles a chestnut and is sometimes eaten as a wild or cultivated root vegetable. The plant has many English names variously including kippernut, cipernut, arnut, jarnut, hawknut, earth chestnut, groundnut, and earthnut. From its popularity with pigs come the names pignut, hognut, and more indirectly Saint Anthony's nut, for Anthony the Great or Anthony of Padua, both patron saints of swineherds.
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.
Squaw root is a common name which can refer to a number of different herbs native to North America:
Perideridia is a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Plants in this genus are known generally as yampah or yampa. They are native to western North America. Similar in appearance to other plants of the family Apiaceae, they have umbels of white flowers.
Viola adunca is a species of violet known by the common names hookedspur violet, early blue violet, sand violet, and western dog violet. It is native to meadows and forests of western North America, Canada, and the northern contiguous United States.
Cardamine oligosperma is a species of Cardamine known by the common name little western bittercress, native to western North America.
Lycopus uniflorus is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name northern bugleweed. It is native to much of North America and east Asia
Perideridia bacigalupii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names Mother Lode yampah and Bacigalupi's perideridia. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the northern and central Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a member of the flora in chaparral and pine woodlands. It is a perennial herb which may exceed 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from tubers. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 40 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, oblong-shaped fruits about half a centimeter long.
Perideridia bolanderi is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name Bolander's yampah. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb which may approach one meter in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from tubers measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into many subdivided lobes of various sizes and shapes; the terminal segments are usually lined with teeth. 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, oblong-shaped fruits about half a centimeter long. The Atsugewi and Miwok of California used the tuberous roots of this plant for food.
Perideridia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name California yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Central Coast Ranges and a section of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in moist soils, often near streams. It is a perennial herb which may approach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from cylindrical tubers measuring up to 12 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 40 centimeters long which are divided into many flat, 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, oblong-shaped fruits under a centimeter long.
Perideridia howellii is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name Howell's yampah. It is native to the mountains of Oregon and northern California, where it grows in moist soils, often near streams and rivers. It is a perennial herb which may exceed 1.5 metres in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from a cluster of many narrow fibrous roots measuring up to 15 centimetres long. Leaves near the base of the plant have lance-shaped blades up to half a metre long which are divided into many leaflets made up of toothed, oval segments. Leaves higher on the plant are similar, but generally smaller. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimetre long.
Perideridia kelloggii is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name Kellogg's yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the north and central coasts, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in grassland habitat, sometimes on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb which may reach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from a cluster of long, narrow, fibrous roots each up to 15 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 45 centimeters wide which are divided into many leaflets subdivided into narrow, elongated lobes. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.
Perideridia lemmonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names Lemmon's yampah and tuni. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from southeastern Oregon, western Nevada, and the mountains of eastern California. It grows in meadows, forests, and other habitat. It is a perennial herb approaching one meter in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from usually a single small tuber about 1.5 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 30 centimeters long divided into one or two pairs of leaflets, each of which may be subdivided. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, round or oblong-shaped fruits, each under half a centimeter long.
Perideridia oregana is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names Oregon yampah and eppaw. It is native to Oregon and California in the western United States, where it grows in woodland and other habitat. This plant is quite variable in appearance. In general, it is a perennial herb 10 to 90 centimeters tall, its green to waxy-grayish erect stem growing from a cluster of small tubers. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades 3 to 30 centimeters long divided into a variable number of leaflets, which may be subdivided into smaller segments. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits 3 to 6 millimeters long.
Perideridia parishii is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name Parish's yampah. It is native to mountainous regions of the southwestern United States, where it grows in forests and other habitat. It is a perennial herb growing up to 90 centimeters tall, its slender green stem growing from a small tuber. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades 10 to 20 centimeters long divided into pairs of leaflets, which may be subdivided or lobed. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, round or oblong-shaped fruits each about half a centimeter long.
Perideridia americana is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names eastern yampah and wild dill. It has been found in 12 Midwestern United States, and is listed as threatened or endangered in at least 3 of them. In Missouri it is a conservation species of concern.