(Pediomelum esculentum)
Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe |
NNR - Unranked SNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota |
not listed |
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Nativity | Native |
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Occurrence |
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Habitat | Dry. Undisturbed prairies. |
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Flowering | May to July |
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Flower Color | Blue |
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Height | 4″ to 16″ |
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Identification | This is a 4″ to 16″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on 1 to 3 stems from a spindle-shaped or round, tuberous-thickened, deep, edible root. The stems are erect or ascending, often zigzagged, and much branched. They are densely covered with conspicuous, spreading hairs. The leaves are alternate and are palmately divided into 5 leaflets. They are on hairy leaf stalks, the larger leaves on stalks 1½″ to 4″ long. The leaflets are narrowly inversely egg-shaped or oblong to inversely lance-shaped and are folded along the midrib. They are ¾″ to 1½″ long and up to about ½″ to ¾″ wide when flattened. The upper surface is mostly hairless. The lower surface is densely covered with long, soft, silky, appressed, white hairs. The inflorescence is a dense, leafy, cone-shaped spike 1⅛″ to 3⅛″ long and about 1″ wide rising on a stout stalk from the upper leaf axils. The flowers are ⅝″ to ¾″ wide and pea-like, with 5 petals organized into a broad banner at the top, 2 narrow wings, and a keel in the center formed by two petals fused together at the tip. The petals are blue. The fruit is a densely hairy, egg-shaped pod with a beak obviously longer than the pod. It contains a single seed. |
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Similar Species |
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Distribution | ![]() |
Sources: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28. | |||||
Comments |
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Taxonomy | Family: |
Fabaceae (pea) |
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Subfamily: |
Faboideae (Papilionoideae) |
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Tribe: |
Psoraleeae |
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Synonyms | Lotodes esculentum Psoralea brachiata Psoralea esculenta |
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Common Names |
breadroot breadroot scurfpea breadroot scurf-pea Indian breadroot Indian turnip large Indian breadroot prairie apple prairie potato prairie turnip prairie-turnip shaggy prairie-turnip |
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Glossary
Axil
The upper angle where the leaf stalk meets the stem.
Palmate
Similar to a hand. Having more than three lobes or leaflets that radiate from a single point at the base of the leaf.
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
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Inflorescence |
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Leaves |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Man vs. Wild - Yum! Prairie Turnip! Discovery |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 21, 2008 Check out Bear's Ten SCARY SURVIVAL moments: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/man-vs-wild-scary-survival-moments/?smid=YTDSC-YTD-PLP Bear Grylls demonstrates how to find and prepare this Native American survival food. |
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Wild Foods: Prairie Turnip Bravo Survival |
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About
Published on Jun 19, 2014 Foraging for wild foods in the Great Plains. The Prairie Turnip or psoralea esculenta is a great food that was very important to the Native American tribes in the area |
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