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Hog Peanut by Vanessa Leyton This plant is part of the Legume family (Fabaceae). There is only one species of Amphicarpa found in America, however, others are found in Asia and North Africa. It is a vine-like plant and is usually found winding itself around thickets and fences. It survives mainly in moist areas, such as areas around ponds and lakes. It produces white and pink flowers that bloom around August until early fall. The stem is thin, climbing up to 3 feet in length; the flowers are irregular in shape and are up to 1.8cm long. There are two types of blossoms that are produced by the hog peanut. One is produced from the leaf axils, and the other is produced on the stem near the root. After the blossoms on the stems near the roots have flowered, the developing seedpods bury themselves in the soil. These flowers produce a one seeded juicy fruit, the hog peanut. This plant is found in most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. The hog peanut plant was once used for food by Native Americans, especially the actual hog peanut found underground. This fruit was one that mice were found of, and it is said that the Dakotas, after “robbing” the plant of the peanut, would leave corn for replacement food for the mice. Once the hulls of the fruit were removed, the seed was eaten as a nut. Written Spring 2004, as a service learning project for Dr. Gary Coté's Biology 102 class at Radford University. Copyright Pathways for Radford. |
