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Indian breadroot, large Indian breadroot, prairie turnip

largebract Indian breadroot, tallbread scurfpea

Habit Herbs usually caulescent, rarely subacaulescent to acaulescent, to 50 cm, eglandular and pubescent throughout. Herbs caulescent, to 100+ cm, mostly glandular throughout, strigose becoming glabrate.
Stems

erect, usually unbranched, sometimes branched basally, leaves dispersed along stem and arising nearly perpendicular to it;

pseudoscapes 0.5–2 cm;

cataphylls 0.5–15 mm, striate.

1+, decumbent to erect-ascending, much branched, leaves dispersed along stems;

pseudoscapes rarely branched, 0–14 cm;

cataphylls 0–13 mm.

Leaves

palmately (3–)5-foliolate;

stipules persistent, broadly lanceolate proximally to linear-lanceolate distally, 10–20 × 2–8 mm, stramineous basally, eglandular, glabrate to sparsely pubescent, hairs semi-erect;

petiole not jointed basally, (2–)30–100(–150) mm;

petiolules 1.5–4 mm;

leaflet blades elliptic to oblanceolate, 2–4(–6) × 0.7–2.3 cm, base attenuate to cuneate, apex broadly acute to rounded or retuse, surfaces abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrate except on midvein.

palmately 3–5-foliolate;

stipules persistent, erect to reflexed, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 6–15 × 1–5 mm, glandular, pubescent;

petiole enlarged but not jointed basally, often canaliculate, 5–40 mm, sparsely strigose;

petiolules 1.5–3.5 mm;

leaflet blades oblanceolate to elliptic, oblong, or obovate, 2–4.8 × 0.5–2 cm, base cuneate, apex acute to obtuse or apiculate, surfaces abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous.

Inflorescences

persistent (not disjointing at base of peduncle in fruit), elliptic to oblong;

rachis 1.6–7 cm, elongating slightly in fruit, nodes (6–)8–15, (2 or)3 flowers per node;

bracts persistent, oblanceolate to elliptic, 5–15 × (0.5–)4–9 mm, glabrate to sparsely pubescent, hairs semi-erect.

persistent, ellipsoid to elongate;

rachis 1.5–8.5 cm, nodes (2–)6–17, 3 flowers per node, internodes to 13 mm;

bracts persistent, erect to reflexed, lanceolate, 4–17 × 1–6 mm, glandular, pubescent.

Peduncles

(0.5–)5–12(–15) cm, shorter than subtending petiole, pilose.

0.6–15 cm, longer than subtending petiole, strigose.

Pedicels

1–3 mm.

2–3 mm.

Flowers

12–20 mm;

calyx strongly gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 13–16 mm abaxially, 12–14 mm adaxially, eglandular, pubescent;

tube 5–6 mm;

lobes linear or linear-lanceolate to elliptic, abaxial 7.5–10 × 2–2.5 mm, adaxial 4–7 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla violet to blue-purple, banner sometimes paler, oblanceolate, 17–18 × 6 mm with claw 7–8 mm, wings 15–16.5 × 3–3.5 mm with claw 6–6.5 mm, keel 12–12.5 × 3 mm with claw 6–6.5 mm;

filaments 11–14 mm;

anthers elliptic, 0.5 mm;

ovary pubescent apically, style glabrous apically.

12–22 mm;

calyx strongly gibbous-campanulate in fruit, 9–15 mm abaxially, 8–12 mm adaxially, glandular, pubescent;

tube 4–5.5 mm;

abaxial lobe lanceolate to elliptic, 8–19 × 2–3.5 mm, adaxial lobes lanceolate, 4–7 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla blue, purple, or violet, banner broadly oblanceolate to obovate, 13–21 × 7–8 mm with claw 4–6 mm, wings 12–18.5 × 3–4 mm with claw 4–7.5 mm, keel 9–13 × 4–7 mm with claw 2.5–3 mm;

filaments 8–12 mm;

anthers elliptic, 0.5–0.6 mm;

ovary glabrous or pubescent and glandular on distal 1/4–1/3, style pubescent basally.

Legumes

oblong, 4–6 × 2.5–3.5 mm, eglandular, pubescent, beak 9–13(–16) mm, exserted beyond calyx.

ovoid to obovate, 6–8 × 4–4.5 mm, glandular, pubescent distally, beak 1.5–2 mm, shorter than calyx.

Seed

brown, reniform, 4 × 3 mm, somewhat rugose.

reddish brown, reniform to globose, 3.5–4 × 4.5–5 mm.

2n

= 22.

Pediomelum esculentum

Pediomelum cuspidatum

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer. Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Prairies, grasslands, open pine woodlands. Grasslands, meadows, woodlands.
Elevation 500–2000 m. (1600–6600 ft.) 50–1500 m. (200–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY; AB; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; MT; NE; OK; SD; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Pediomelum esculentum was once one of the main sources of starch for Native American tribes of the Great Plains, eaten fresh, boiled, dried, or ground into flour and used as a thickening agent. Use of the root for food and barter was documented by Lewis and Clark on their historic expedition across the United States (Mer. Lewis and W. Clark 2003).

Pediomelum esculentum ranges in morphology from strongly caulescent to acaulescent with no apparent geographical structuring in this most widespread species. J. W. Grimes (1990) placed this species in subg. Pediomelum due to its persistent inflorescences. Molecular phylogenetic and network analyses suggest a split affinity for P. esculentum between both subgenera, suggesting that this may be an intermediate form and bridge between his subgenera or the groupings suggested by D. J. Ockendon (1965) based on habit—groupings somewhat supported by molecular phylogenies (A. N. Egan and K. A. Crandall 2008, 2008b).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Pediomelum cuspidatum is one of the larger species in the genus, in spite of its procumbent habit with erect-ascending, copious lateral branches. Horizontal stems are often bicolored, purple adaxially and light green abaxially. It is variable, particularly in plant height, flower length, and inflorescence length.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Pediomelum
Sibling taxa
P. argophyllum, P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, P. cuspidatum, P. cyphocalyx, P. digitatum, P. epipsilum, P. humile, P. hypogaeum, P. latestipulatum, P. linearifolium, P. megalanthum, P. mephiticum, P. palmeri, P. pariense, P. pentaphyllum, P. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
P. argophyllum, P. aromaticum, P. californicum, P. canescens, P. castoreum, P. cyphocalyx, P. digitatum, P. epipsilum, P. esculentum, P. humile, P. hypogaeum, P. latestipulatum, P. linearifolium, P. megalanthum, P. mephiticum, P. palmeri, P. pariense, P. pentaphyllum, P. piedmontanum, P. reverchonii, P. rhombifolium, P. subacaule, P. tenuiflorum, P. verdiense
Synonyms Psoralea esculenta Psoralea cuspidata
Name authority (Pursh) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 20. (1919) (Pursh) Rydberg in N. L. Britton et al.: N. Amer. Fl. 24: 19. (1919)
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