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Amphicarpaea bracteata (L.) Fernald
American hogpeanut, ground bean
American hogpeanut is native to eastern North America. It prefers woodlands, thickets, low wooded areas along streams, and moist slopes. Plants: Plants look like low-lying mats of foliage, but at close quarters they are actually thin-stemmed vines 24-96" (60-243 cm) long. Small tendrils hang onto nearby plants. Stems are less than ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) thick, light green to reddish green, and covered with thin flattened (appressed) hairs (var. bracteata) or spreading hairs (var. comosa). Leaves: Leaves are alternate, in groups of three delicate leaflets, along twining stems. The central leaflet, called the terminal leaflet, is up to 2½" (6.3 cm) long (var. bracteata) or up to 4" (10 cm) long (var. comosa) and about the same width. Leaflets are ovate to ovate-rhombic, with sharp tips. The other two leaflets tend to be a bit smaller. Leaflets are mostly hairless on top, and usually hairier and lighter in color below. Flowers: Pink to white to pale lavender, ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) long. Open flowers are cross-pollinated, while closed flowers are self-pollinating. Flowers are tubular in shape, with an upright-facing banner, 2 side wings, and a keel. The edges of the banners are often folded backward. Closed flowers may occur above or below ground. Open flowers occur in compact clusters of 2-15 along the vine. They appear from August to September. Fruits: Open flowers form flat pods, ½-1½" (1.5-4 cm) long, pointed at both ends, containing 1-4 seeds. When mature, the dried pods burst to disperse the seeds. Closed flowers produce a pod containing a single seed. Edibility: Below-ground pear-shaped seeds are “sweet and delicious,” eaten raw or cooked, tasting like shelled garden beans. Seeds from above-ground seed pods are said by some sources to be inedible, and by others to be edible after cooking. Online References:
Amphicarpaea bracteata at Illinois Wildflowers Amphicarpaea bracteata on Wikipedia Amphicarpaea bracteata on gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org Amphicarpaea bracteata on Plants for a Future Amphicarpaea bracteata at Minnesota Wildflowers References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 101 Amphicarpaea bracteata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME Range: Zones 4-9:
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