Prairie Turnip (Timpsula)

Pediomelum esculentum

Illustration: Prairie turnip (Pediomelum esculentum) flowers and taproot

Identification: Low prairie plant with blue-purple pea-like flower spikes; palmate leaves; a single fleshy taproot. The great staple root of the Plains tribes.

Dangerous look-alikes: CRITICAL: learn it in flower. Prairie vetches and locoweeds (Astragalus — some toxic) share pea-like flowers; confirm the palmate leaves, low habit, and taproot with an expert before digging. When in doubt, do not dig.

Edible parts: Taproot.

Season and habitat: Summer (in flower, for ID); roots dug spring or fall. Intact native prairie.

Preparation: Peel and eat raw, roast, or dry and pound into flour — nutty and nourishing. Harvest sparingly; intact prairie is rare and the plant is slow.

Notes: Harvest only where abundant and legal — never in preserves or parks.