Small Indian Breadroot

Pediomelum pentaphyllum (L.) Rydberg
Psoralea pentaphylla L. Sp. PI. 764. 1753.
Lotodes pentaphyllum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 194. 1891.
A perennial, with a subglobose tuber 1.5-2 cm. thick; stem branched at the base, decumbent, 1-3 dm. long, terete, slender, strigose; leaves pedately 3-5-foliolate; stipules subulate, small; petioles 3-5 cm. long, the 4 (rarely 2) lower leaflets inserted nearly at the same point, the terminal one borne on a prolongation of the rachis 5-10 mm. long; all linear-oblong to elliptic, 1-2.5 cm. long, sparingly strigose on both sides, acute at each end ; peduncles axillary, 1-2 cm. long; spikes very short, 2-S-flowered; calyx strigose in anthesis, 3 mm. long, enlarging in fruit and becoming 6-7 mm. long; lobes lance-subulate, slightly longer than the tube; corolla about 6 mm. long, blue; banner obovate, with triangular basal lobes; body of the fruit ovoid, flattened, 5 mm. long, strigose, the beak 6 mm. long; seed smooth, slightly longer than broad, about 5 mm. long, grayish-brown.
Type locality: Mexico.
Distribution: Chihuahua and Coahuila to Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, and Guanajuato.

Perennial, Herbs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Tubers or tuberous roots present, Nodules present, Stems very short, acaulescent or subacaulescent, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Plants gland-dotted or with gland-tipped hairs, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules setiform, subulate or acicular, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves palmately 5-11 foliate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets 5-9, Leaves glandular punctate or gland-dotted, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescences spikes or spike-like, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts conspicuously present, Bracts hairy, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Banner petal auriculate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style hairy, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit enclosed in calyx, Fruit beaked, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit hairy, Fruit gland-dotted or with gland-tipped hairs, Fruit 1-seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface wrinkled or rugose, Seeds olive, brown, or black.