Difference between revisions of "Perideridia"

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'''''Perideridia''''' is a small genus of plants in the [[Apiaceae|parsley family]]. Plants in this genus are known generally as '''yampah''' or '''yampa'''. They are native to western North America. Similar in appearance to other plants belonging to the family [[Apiaceae]], they have [[umbel]]s of white flowers.
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'''''Perideridia''''' is a small genus of plants in the [[Apiaceae|parsley family]]. Plants in this genus are known generally as '''yampah''' or '''yampa'''. They are native to western North America.
  
==Description==
 
The plants have a unique appearance for members of the [[parsley]] family, and are tall (1–3 feet) and grasslike, with threadlike leaves 1–6 inches long that resemble blades of grass. The plants effectively mimic tall grass and are virtually invisible until they flower, since they tend to grow in grassy meadows, and prefer full sunlight. Like most members of the parsley family, yampah produces umbels of white flowers. The small roots of yampah are about the size of a large unshelled peanut.
 
 
==Distribution and habitat==
 
The plants are widely distributed in moist open meadows and hillsides up to {{convert|7500|ft}} across Western North America and Northern Mexico.<ref name="Tilford">{{cite book |author=Gregory L. Tilford |year=1997 |title=Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West |publisher=[[Mountain Press Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-87842-359-0}}</ref>
 
 
==Uses==
 
 
''[[Perideridia gairdneri]]'' was an important staple crop of Native Americans in Western North America. The nutlike roots of the plant are crunchy and mildly sweet, and resemble in texture and flavor [[Eleocharis dulcis|water chestnuts]].
 
''[[Perideridia gairdneri]]'' was an important staple crop of Native Americans in Western North America. The nutlike roots of the plant are crunchy and mildly sweet, and resemble in texture and flavor [[Eleocharis dulcis|water chestnuts]].
  
 
Yampah roots were either baked or steamed, and were reported to have excellent flavor and nutritional qualities. The seeds of yampah were used as a seasoning and resemble caraway seeds in flavor. Yampah roots contain rapidly assimilatable carbohydrates, and were used by hunters and runners as a high energy food to enhance physical endurance.
 
Yampah roots were either baked or steamed, and were reported to have excellent flavor and nutritional qualities. The seeds of yampah were used as a seasoning and resemble caraway seeds in flavor. Yampah roots contain rapidly assimilatable carbohydrates, and were used by hunters and runners as a high energy food to enhance physical endurance.
  
Uncooked yampah roots are a gentle laxative if consumed in excess and were used medicinally for this purpose.<ref name="Tilford"/>
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Uncooked yampah roots are a gentle laxative if consumed in excess and were used medicinally for this purpose.
  
 
It resembles the highly toxic [[poison hemlock]] and [[water hemlock]].
 
It resembles the highly toxic [[poison hemlock]] and [[water hemlock]].
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*''[[Perideridia parishii]]'' – Parish's yampah, Sierra Queen Anne's lace
 
*''[[Perideridia parishii]]'' – Parish's yampah, Sierra Queen Anne's lace
 
*''[[Perideridia pringlei]]'' – adobe yampah
 
*''[[Perideridia pringlei]]'' – adobe yampah
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[https://www.cultivariable.com/instructions/root-crops/how-to-grow-yampah/ Cultivariable]
 
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PERID USDA Plants Profile]
 
*[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PERID USDA Plants Profile]
 
*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,497 Jepson Manual Treatment]
 
*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,497 Jepson Manual Treatment]

Latest revision as of 14:49, 1 November 2020

Perideridia
Perideridiamontana.jpg
Perideridia gairdneri subsp. borealis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
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Order:
Family:
Genus:
Perideridia

Species

About 12; see text.

Perideridia is a small genus of plants in the parsley family. Plants in this genus are known generally as yampah or yampa. They are native to western North America.

Perideridia gairdneri was an important staple crop of Native Americans in Western North America. The nutlike roots of the plant are crunchy and mildly sweet, and resemble in texture and flavor water chestnuts.

Yampah roots were either baked or steamed, and were reported to have excellent flavor and nutritional qualities. The seeds of yampah were used as a seasoning and resemble caraway seeds in flavor. Yampah roots contain rapidly assimilatable carbohydrates, and were used by hunters and runners as a high energy food to enhance physical endurance.

Uncooked yampah roots are a gentle laxative if consumed in excess and were used medicinally for this purpose.

It resembles the highly toxic poison hemlock and water hemlock.

Selected species

External links

Acknowledgements

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Perideridia, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.