Fabaceae

large Indian breadroot; Indian Potato; Indian Breadroot

Psoralea esculenta Pursh

Indigenous Names: Cheyenne (documented ethnobotanical use), Crow (Apsáalooke) documented use, Shared Plains use (multiple tribes documented), Arapaho (documented ethnobotanical use), Kiowa (documented ethnobotanical use), Comanche (documented ethnobotanical use), Ce:’ei’i (Meaning: “They are round”), Mo?kohta?eno, Mo?ohta?eno

Habitat: prairie; plains; Found on prairies, rocky hillsides and open woodlands; Manitoba to North Dakota and Wisconsin, south to Missouri and Texas; rocky woods and prairies, on calcareous soils

Seasonality: spring; Not given

Status: Native

Traditional Food Use

Cheyenne

Roots dug, dried, and eaten whole or pounded into meal. | Shared Plains: Roots dug, dried, and eaten whole or pounded into flour; key winter food. | Crow: Roots dug, dried, and eaten as staple food. | Arapaho: Roots dug, dried, and eaten as staple food; stored for winter. | Kiowa: Roots dug and dried; important travel food. | Comanche: Prairie turnip roots eaten dried or cooked.

Cheyenne

Dried plant pieces powdered and used as a thickening for soups, gravy and dry meat

Cheyenne

Dried plant slices boiled, a sweetener added and eaten as a sweet pudding

Cheyenne

Roots dried and eaten as a winter food Additional commentary: Roots formerly cut into thin, lengthwise slices and dried for winter use.

Cheyenne

Roots eaten fresh

Cheyenne

Used for food. Species used for food

Arapaho

Eaten, similar to a potato

Cheyenne

Used as a food

Medicinal Documentation

Cheyenne

Used to treat digestive weakness and as strengthening food. | Shared Plains: Strengthening food; mild digestive support. | Crow: Used to restore strength after illness. | Arapaho: Strengthening food during recovery from illness. | Kiowa: Strengthening food during illness recovery. | Comanche: Used to restore strength.

Cheyenne

Plant used as a diarrhea medicine

Cheyenne

Plant used as a burn medicine

Cheyenne

Plant used as an ingredient for medicinal mixtures

Cheyenne

The turnip served as an ingredient in medicinal mixtures including one for burns that also contains ‘bear mint’ and Koeleria cristata.

Cheyenne

It was part of a diarrhea medicine

Ceremonial & Cultural Notes

Cheyenne

Ceremonially, this turnip played a part long ago within a certain religious order. In a yearly animal dance, those participating would flagellate themselves with this plant, as part of a petition for tribal prosperity Additional commentary: Moerman refers to this plant as Pediomelum esculentum.585

Botanical Reference

Parts Documented: root, plant, Not specified in the literature

Distribution: Native to Great Plains; documented Cheyenne use; Widespread native Plains species; multi-tribal use documented; Native Plains species; documented Crow use; Manitoba to North Dakota and Wisconsin, south to Missouri and Texas; rocky woods and prairies, on calcareous soils

View on USDA Plants Database ↗