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Largebract Indian breadroot

Pediomelum cuspidatum

Largebract Indian breadroot
Photo: NoodleToo at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

A perennial prairie wildflower of the central United States, growing from a deep carrot-shaped root and bearing light blue, pea-like flowers. It is best grown in full sun in well-drained, deep soil, left undisturbed once established.

Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly once established; it tolerates dry spells typical of prairie conditions.
Soil
Deep, well-drained soil; native to black soil prairies.
How easy
Moderate
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
C. U.S.A.
Climate
temperate

About

Pediomelum cuspidatum (also known as Psoralea cuspidata) is a perennial herb also known as the buffalo pea, largebract Indian breadroot and the tall-bread scurf-pea. It is found on the black soil prairies in Texas. It has an inflorescence on stems 18-40 centimeters long arising from a subterranean stem and deep carrot-shaped root that is 4–15 cm long. The long petioled leaves are palmately divided into 5 linear-elliptic leaflets that are 2-4 centimeters long. The flowers, borne in condensed spikes from the leaves, are light blue and pea-like.

How to grow it

Pediomelum cuspidata emerges in late Spring, and sets few seeds, unlike its smaller, fecund cousin Pediomelum hypogaeum.

The species has edible tuberous roots, although some sources describe it as 'bitter'.

Other Pediomelum plants

Large Indian breadroot · Subterranean Indian breadroot

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pediomelum cuspidatum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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