Psoralea hypogaea
| Psoralea hypogaea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Psoralea hypogaea (common name: small indian breadroot)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in early to mid spring in a greenhouse. Either sow the seed in individual pots or pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible in order to avoid root disturbance. Grow them on in the pots until planting out in their final positions. It is usually impossible to transplant this species without fatal damage to the root[1].
Division in spring. With great care since the plant resents root disturbance. It is virtually impossible to divide this species successfully[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[2]. Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[1].
Plants are very intolerant of root disturbance, they are best planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small[1].
Some botanists have reclassified the plant and now call it Pediomelum hypogaeum[3].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: Western N. America - Great Plains, east to Nebraska and south to Oklahoma.
Habitat: Rocky or sandy prairies, bluffs and stream valleys[4].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8][9]. Rich in starch[10]. The root can also be dried, ground into a powder and used in soups or with cereals for making bread etc[8]. The root is up to 60mm long and 15mm thick[11]. The root was an important food source fr the native North American Indians[3].
Usage: The plant is a good soil stabilizer in its natural environment[1].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention of toxicity for this species has been found, at least some members of this genus contain furanocoumarins, these substances can cause photosensitivity in some people[12].
Also Known As: Pediomelum hypogaeum. (Nutt. ex Torr.&Gray.)Rydb.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ McGregor, Ronald. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, 1986.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.