Pediomelum esculentum (Prairie Turnip)
| Also known as: | Large Indian Breadroot, Indian Turnip |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Pediomelum |
| Family: | Fabaceae (Pea) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | sun; dry prairie, often rocky soil |
| Bloom season: | May - July |
| Plant height: | 12 to 16 inches |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
Pick an image for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/pediomelum-esculentum-1.jpg)
Short, cylindrical, densely hairy spike of ½-inch pea-shaped flowers. Flowers are light blue to purple turning creamy with age; the upper petal (standard) is round with darker veins; the lateral wings below it are somewhat lighter in color, inflated over a small keel underneath. The calyx tube and floral bracts are covered in long silvery hairs.
Leaves and stem:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pd/pediomelum-esculentum-7.jpg)
Leaves are palmately compound in groups of 5 on a stalk up to 6 inches long. Leaflets are oval elliptic, 1 to 2 inches long, 1/3 to ¾ inch wide, narrowing at the base, rounded, blunt or pointed at the tip, upper surface nearly smooth, undersides covered in flattened hairs. Plant is stout, stems and leaves are erect with multiple branches. Stems are densely hairy.
Fruit:
Fruit is a 1-seeded pod about ¼ inch long.
Notes:
Both Prairie Turnip and Silverleaf Scurf Pea (P. argophyllum) are restricted to open prairie habitats and commonly encountered in those habitats. As the common names imply this species has a large, starchy root that was utilized by both Native American and European pioneers alike. While I have run across it at several locations in past years, all of my images come from out of state. This species was formerly known as Psoralea esculenta.
Please visit our sponsors
Native Plant Nurseries, Restoration and Landscaping Services ↓
Map of native plant resources in the upper midwest
More photos
Prairie Turnip plant
Prairie Turnip plant
Prairie Turnip plantPhotos by Peter M. Dziuk taken in western South Dakota.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2014-06-09 15:21:08
Several of these were still in bloom, though fading, on 7 June 2014, south-facing hillsides, gravelly soil.
on: 2015-06-25 13:59:36
Saw this last weekend almost at the top of the hill. Almost done blooming but still cool to find and identify!
on: 2018-06-02 10:04:50
We included this species in a custom seed mix for our native grass/wildflower yard. Finally saw several of these growing in our sunny dry location. Blooming today 6/2/2018.
on: 2019-08-31 23:46:21
Prairie turnip! Timpsila! I've heard this is a hugely important plant in the dakota/lakota cosmology, when star girl pulls up the turnip plant and falls through the hole in the sky.
on: 2021-06-06 14:49:35
Some about to bloom, a few partially blooming, most with no infloresence present. Viewed on June 5, 2021
on: 2021-06-21 15:40:43
Found one on a sand-gravel bluff prairie, on private property south of Pine Bend Bluffs SNA.
on: 2022-06-03 18:50:11
This is a new location for the turnip at Lost Valley. There are a few plants at several other locations but it is uncommon. It likes the tops of the hills where the soil is thin. The soil is on top of the limestone bedrock.
on: 2022-06-04 18:37:19
Went out to Lost Valley again because there was so much that was blooming. I put on my turnip eye to see if I could find any more plants from my last posting. On top of one hill called the fish knob I was able to find a half dozen plants that were in various stages. None of them would actually started to bloom yet however. It's encouraging that there were so many to be found however. I posted pictures and locations to iNaturalist about what I found. You can go there and look up Lost Valley Prairie to find the input for the Prairie turnip.