INDIAN BREADROOT 



Psora'lea esculen'ta, syn. Pediome'lum esculen'tum 



W157 

 (2 leaves) 



Flowers pca-liko, bracted, in a dense, 

 oblong, spikelike cluster (raceme) % to 

 3% in. long 



Leaves alternate, long-stalked (stalks 

 2 to 4 times as long as leaflets), pal- 

 mately divided into 5 leaflets 



Leaflets narrowly egg-shaped or re- 

 verse-egg-shaped, % to 2% in. long, 

 blunt-tipped, hairless above, hairy and 

 gland-dotted beneath 



Stem stout, erect, rather short (not 

 more than about 18 in. high), freely 

 branched, shaggy with long, whitish 

 hairs 



Petals 5, bluish, dissimilar; upper 

 petal (banner) broad; side (2) petals 

 (wings) clawed; lowest (2) united 

 petals (keel) shorter than other petals, 

 incurved 



Outer united flower parts (calyx) 

 tubular, humped on upper side, per- 

 sistent, 5-lobed; lowest lobe a lift It- 

 longer than other 4 



Stamens in 2 groups of 9 and 1, the 9 

 "united by their stalks 



Taproot tuberous, starchy; "tubers'* 

 deep-seated, sometimes clustered, 

 edible 



Seed pod enclosed by persistent calyr, 

 1 -seeded, oblong, about % in. long 

 exclusive of the long beak which 

 breaks off at maturity 



