Photos of Apios americana, Groundnut

Apios americana, Groundnut was widely used as food by indigenous groups and cultivated. Delicious tubers used as food by European migrants during first bleak winters. With 3 times the protein of potatoes, each Groundnut plant, under cultivation, may produce 5 pounds of tubers. The plant has been suggested as a nitrogen-fixing edible ornamental for permaculturists. John Josselyn (1672) suggested a poultice of Groundnut root be used for cancerous conditions. Like many legumes, Groundnut contains estrogenic isoflavones (phytoestrogens) with anticancer activity, such as genistein, which can prevent the formation of blood vessels that nourish new tumors.

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