Apios americana

Taxobox
name = "Apios americana"

---

image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
genus = "Apios"
species = "A. americana"
binomial = "Apios americana"
binomial_authority = Medikus
synonyms = "A. tuberosa" Moench

"Apios americana", sometimes called the potato bean, hopniss, Indian potato or groundnut (but not to be confused with other plants sometimes known by the name groundnut) is a perennial vine native to eastern North America, and bears edible beans and large edible tubers. It grows to 3-4 m long, with pinnate leaves 8-15 cm long with 5-7 leaflets. The flowers are red-brown to purple, produced in dense racemes. The fruit is a legume (pod) 6-12 cm long.

The tubers are crunchy and nutritious, with a high content of starch and especially protein. The plant was one of the most important food plants of pre-European North America, and is now being developed for domestication.

External links

* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/V1-436.html Domestication of "Apios americana"]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Apios+americana&CAN=COMIND Plants for a future database]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=APAM "Apios americana" at the USDA Plants database]
* [http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/The_Forager/hopniss.htm Hopniss: North America's best wild tuber?]