prairie turnip
• noun
North American The edible, starchy subterranean tuber of a perennial North American grassland legume (Pediomelum esculentum), peeled to reveal white flesh that can be eaten raw, boiled, or dried and ground into flour as a traditional staple food of Plains Indigenous peoples.
"During the summer harvest, the elders taught the children how to braid the peeled prairie turnips together so they could be hung to dry for winter stews."
North American A low-growing perennial herbaceous plant (Pediomelum esculentum) of the pea family Fabaceae, native to the prairies and Great Plains of central North America and bearing palmately compound leaves and dense spikes of bluish-purple flowers.
"Before the blossoms fade and the dry foliage blows away in the wind, foragers locate the prairie turnip among the native prairie grasses."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its name, the prairie turnip is a leguminous plant in the pea family rather than a true turnip in the mustard family.
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Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.