Practical
Plants

Amphicarpaea bracteata

Hog Peanut

a perennial woody member of the Amphicarpaea genus in the family Leguminosae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked[4][1]. Two types of seed are produced - flowers produced near the ground produce a pod that buries itself just below soil level. These pods contain a single seed are up to 15mm in diameter which can be used as a peanut substitute. They can be harvested throughout the winter and can be eaten raw or cooked[4][10][11][1]. They are sweet and delicious raw with a taste that is more like shelled garden beans than peanuts[3]. Yields are rather low, and it can be a fiddle finding the seeds, but they do make a very pleasant and nutritious snack[K]. Other flowers higher up the plant produce seed pods that do not bury themselves. The seeds in these pods are much smaller and are usually cooked before being eaten[11][3]. They can be used in all the same ways as lentils and are a good source of protein[K]. The overall crop of these seeds is rather low and they are also fiddly to harvest[K]. Root - cooked[2][7]. The root is peeled, boiled and then eaten[7]. Fleshy and nutritious according to one report[5], whilst another says that the root is too small to be of much importance in the diet[7]. Our plants have only produced small and stringy roots[K].

Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[7]. Externally, the root has been applied to bites from rattlesnakes[7]. A poultice of the pulverized leaves has been applied with any salve to swellings[7].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Manitoba and Louisiana.
Habitat
Cool damp woodlands[9][5].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a semi-shaded position in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within a few weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out in late spring or early summer. Division. We have been unable to divide this plant because it only makes a small taproot. However, many of the seeds are produced under the ground and these can be harvested like tubers and potted up to make more plants.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a moist humus-rich soil in a shady position[5]. The young shoots in spring can be damaged by late frosts[K]. The hog peanut has occasionally been cultivated for its edible seed which has been used as a peanut substitute[3]. Yields at present, however, are rather low[K]. Two types of blossom are produced by the plant - those produced from the leaf axils mostly abort but a few seeds are produced[11]. Solitary, inconspicuous cleistogamous flowers are produced on thread-like stems near the root and, after flowering, the developing seedpods bury themselves into the soil in a manner similar to peanuts[11][8]. 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[5].

References

  1. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  7. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  8. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

  9. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  10. Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948-00-00

    ↩

  11. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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