Practical
Plants

Psoralea hypogaea

Small Indian Breadroot

a perennial member of the Psoralea genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

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[11].

Edible uses

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

Root - raw or cooked[4][10][12][3][7]. Rich in starch[2]. The root can also be dried, ground into a powder and used in soups or with cereals for making bread etc[3]. The root is up to 60mm long and 15mm thick[9]. The root was an important food source fr the native North American Indians[8].

Plant part
Root

Material uses

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

The plant is a good soil stabilizer in its natural environment[5].

Ecology and functions

Earth stabiliser

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Great Plains, east to Nebraska and south to Oklahoma.
Habitat
Rocky or sandy prairies, bluffs and stream valleys[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

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[5]. Division in spring. With great care since the plant resents root disturbance. It is virtually impossible to divide this species successfully[5].

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1]. Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[5]. Plants are very intolerant of root disturbance, they are best planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small[5]. Some botanists have reclassified the plant and now call it Pediomelum hypogaeum[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. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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

    ↩1↩2

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  6. McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas. 1986-00-00 ISBN 070060295x

    ↩

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

    ↩

  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

    ↩1↩2

  9. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

  10. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

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  11. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

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  12. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

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