Apios americana / Indian potato

Apios americana Medik.

= A. tuberosa, Glycine apios

Groundnut, Indian potato, potato bean

Cayuga: hoʹnonda‘ (Waugh 1916:120)

Cherokee: anis’tí – “threads” / tuyùⁱyustí (Banks 1953:72)

Dakota: mdo (Gilmore 1977:42)

Lakota: do (Munson 1981:231)

Menominee: ma’tcetaupä’niûk – “Indian potatoes” (Smith 1923:69)

Mohawk: unänuʹʽgwa‘ (Waugh 1916:120)

Omaha-Ponca: nu (Gilmore 1977:42)

Onondaga: gwϵhu̜wϵnϵʹha’ oʽnenaʹda’ – “Indian potato” (Waugh 1916:120)

Pawnee: its (Gilmore 1977:42)

Osage: blo (Munson 1981:231)

Winnebago: tdo (Gilmore 1977:42)

Location in Texas: E, C, & sparse N TX; not in Travis Co.

Form: herb, vine; perennial.

Flowers: July-Sept (red, pink, purple).

Food

Roots – the tubers were boiled or roasted by all tribes within its range (Blair 1911:117), including the Iroquois (Waugh 1916:120), Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, Pawnee, (Gilmore 1977:42), Lakota, Osage (Munson 1981:231), Caddo (Swanton 1996:134), Menominee (Smith 1923:70), northern Cheyenne (Hart 1981:45) and probably the Atákapa and Orcoquisa (Mayhall 1939:104,111).

They were boiled by some over a low fire for 24 hours (Blair 1911:117). They were eaten raw or cooked (Smith 1923:70). The tubers were peeled, parboiled, sliced, and dried for winter storage (Smith 1923:70). They were cooked with maple syrup to make a dish comparable to candied yams (Smith 1923:70).

The caches of chipmunks were raided by the Cherokee to gather these roots and replace them with corn (Banks 1953:72).

Gathering Season – probably the summer (Mayhall 1939:104).

Notes – the roots as food were commonly referenced by early colonists (Gilmore 1977:42-3).

The rootstocks are like a chain of beads, running in every direction from the stem for fifteen to twenty-five feet, five or six inches below the surface, with the tuberous enlargements at random intervals from six to twenty inches apart, each marble size to three inches in diameter (Smith 1923:70).