Psoralea cuspidata

Pursh

Largebract Indian breadroot, Indian turnip

FabaceaeRootsPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Root

The root can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried and ground into a powder for use in soups or mixed with cereals to make bread.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows in black prairie soils in Texas.

North America, USA,

Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, St Vincent

How to Identify

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a carrot shaped root 4-15 cm long. The leaves are divided like fingers on a hand and have 5 narrow leaflets. These are 2-4 cm long. The flowers are on stems coming from under the ground. These are 18-40 cm long. The flowers are light blue and in spikes.

How to Grow

We have very little information for this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. Some botanists have reclassified the plant and now call it Pediomelum cuspidatum. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Plants are very intolerant of root disturbance, they are best planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small. 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.

Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water, then sow in early to mid spring in a greenhouse. Sow directly into individual pots, or pot up seedlings as soon as possible to avoid root disturbance, growing them on in pots until planting out in their final positions. Transplanting this species almost always causes fatal root damage. Division can be attempted in spring with great care, but the plant strongly resents root disturbance and successful division is virtually impossible.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

The plant is valuable under natural conditions as a soil stabilizer. It is also a nitrogen fixer.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

A perennial growing to 2 feet tall, suitable for light sandy and medium loamy well-drained soils across a range of pH levels. Hardy and requires full sun; tolerates both dry and moist soil conditions. Hermaphroditic flowers attract insects, and the plant fixes nitrogen.

Names & Synonyms

Buffalo pea, Tall-bread scurf-pea

Lotodes cuspidatum (Pursh) KuntzePediomelum caudatum Rydb.Pediomelum cuspidatum (Pursh) Rydb.and others

References (6)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Fl. Amer. sept. 2:741. 1813-1814
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 624 (As Pediomelum cuspidatum)
Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 63, 69
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Wikipedia (As Pediomelum cuspidatum)