Psoralidium tenuiflorum

Psoralidium tenuiflorum, the slimflower scurfpea,[2] is a perennial in the pea family.[3] It is about 2–3 feet (0.6–0.9 m) tall and has a lot of leaves on top. Its leaves can reach a length of 3 inches (80 mm).[4] This flower can be found mainly in the central and southwestern U.S.

Psoralidium tenuiflorum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Psoraleeae
Genus: Psoralidium
Species:
P. tenuiflorum
Binomial name
Psoralidium tenuiflorum
Synonyms[1]
  • Psoralea tenuiflora Pursh
  • Lotodes tenuiflora (Pursh) Kuntze
  • Pediomelum tenuiflorum (Pursh) A.N. Egan

This plant was first described by the German-American botanist Frederick Traugott Pursh who gave it the name Psoralea tenuiflora. It was later transferred to the genus Psoralidium by the American botanist Per Axel Rydberg, becoming Psoralidium tenuiflorum.[1] In 2009, A.N. Egan and J. Reveal proposed placing it in the genus Pediomelum, making it Pediomelum tenuiflorum, however, this is not accepted by all taxonomists.[5]

Preferred habitat

A hardy plant that prefers semi-desert, sandy habitats, scrubland, and woodland, Psoralidium tenuiflorum is resistant to drought because of its long taproot.[6]

Description

Psoralidium tenuiflorum is a much-branched, herbaceous perennial plant growing to a height of 2–3 feet (0.6–0.9 m). The slender stems are grayish-green and bear compound leaves with either three, or four to five leaflets. Short racemes of purplish pea-flowers grow at intervals. The flowers are followed by short cylindrical pods, each bearing a single seed.[4]

Distribution

This plant can be found in the central and southwestern states of the U.S., including Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[3]

Ecology

The flowers of Psoralidium tenuiflorum are attractive to bees and are visited by such bees as Svastra obliqua, Colletes willistoni, and Calliopsis andreniformis. The leaf beetle Luperosoma parallelum and grasshoppers such as Melanoplus femurrubrum, Melanoplus foedus, and Melanoplus packardii feed on the leaves, and the larvae of the moth Schinia jaguarina feed on the seed pods.[4]

Uses

There are many traditional uses for this plant. For example, its root is edible either raw or cooked and can also be ground up and used to thicken soups, or mixed with cereals to make bread.[7] The plant can also be used as an ingredient in an alcoholic drink derived from Agave. In traditional medicine, it is used as a treatment for headaches, the flu, and tuberculosis. These treatments involve infusing the roots in a drink or smoking the leaves. In addition, the stems can be used to make a garland to substitute for a sun hat on hot days, and the stems have been used as a fumigant to keep mosquitoes at bay.[7] The Zuni people apply a poultice of moistened leaves to any body part for purification.[8]

Rocky Mountain bee plant, since its seeds germinate well in disturbed soils and because of aforementioned benefits associated with pollinator attraction, is useful in Reclamation seed mixes. [9]

References
Wikispecies has information related to Psoralidium tenuiflorum.
  1. "Tropicos: Pediomelum tenuiflorum (Pursh) A.N. Egan". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Psoralidium tenuiflorum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  3. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  4. "Scurfy pea: Psoralidium tenuiflorum". Prairie wildflowers of Illinois. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  5. Fern, Ken. "Pediomelum tenuiflorum". Temperate Plants Database. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  6. "Pedomelium tenuflorum". Prairie Moon Nursery. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  7. "Pediomelum tenuiflorum". Useful Temperate Plants. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  8. Stevenson, Matilda Coxe (1915). Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30. p. 58.
  9. "Rocky Mountain bee plant aids revegetation in a semi-arid gas field" (PDF). Environmental Connection. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
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