Flower ID: IMG_2764.JPG-08-18-2019 Flower name (scientific): Apios americana Medikus PY: 1787. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) AY-pee-os a-mer-ih-KAY-na Flower name (common): Groundnut Family name (common): Pea Family name (scientific): Fabaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: From the ancient Greek for pear, which supposedly resembles the shape of the edible tubers. Specific epithet: Of or related to America. Common name origin: Used for plants with edible tubers, and in particular for Apios americana. Flower description: Size: 0.6 to 1.6 inches (1.5 to 4.1 cm) Petal count: 5 Color: pink or red Other: flower arrangement, Raceme Plant description: Vine with no tendrils. Size: 36 to 120 inches (91 to 305 cm) long. Stem hairy: glabrous or pubescent. Other: Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound. Typically there are 5 to 7 leaflets per leaf. Size: Leaflets are about 4 to 9 cm long and approximately 2 to 5 cm wide. Color: Upper surface medium to dark green, the lower surface lighter green. Hairy: Upper surface glabrous and the lower surface glabrous to minutely pubescent. Other: Shape: leaf, odd-pinnate (usually 5-7), leaflet, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, ovate, or broadly ovate (IL) Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon Bloom time (typical): July to September Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual/Perennial Habitat: Moist to mesic woodlands, moist prairies, thickets, streambanks, sun or part shade, wet to moist. Fruit: Legume, bean-shaped about 4 to 6 cm long, containing several seeds. Seed: Dark brown and about 4 to 5 mm long. Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): No lookalikes when in bloom. Ethnobotany: Used as a food source by the Chippewa, Menominee, Potawatomi, Winnebago, Meskwaki, and at least ten other tribes. The roots typically prepared like potatoes or eaten raw (Moerman, p. 77, 1998). The Potawatomi boil the roots in water over a slow fire (Smith, p. 104, 1933) and the Meskwaki prepare them in a similar fashion or eat them raw (Smith, pp. 259-260, 1928). The Menominee cook the roots with maple sugar and also eat them raw (Smith, pp. 68-69, 1923). In the latter three references, the plant is called Apios tuberosa. This species was regarded as a high value vegetable by the Chippewa and other tribes (Gilmore, pp. 133-134, 1933). Latitude: 44.799693 Longitude: -91.481823 Altitude: 254.10 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) In Canada: (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC) References: Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 3 homotypic synonyms for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 10 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na