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Apios fortunei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apios fortunei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Apios
Species:
A. fortunei
Binomial name
Apios fortunei

Apios fortunei, commonly known as hodo, hodoimo, groundnut, or potatobean,[1][2][3][4] is a tuber-forming member of the bean family.

The plant is a perennial climbing vine.[1][3] The leaves are ovate or lanceolate, pinnate with 3–7 leaflets, and 3–7 centimetres (1–3 in) long.[3] The flowers are whitish green, sometimes tinted light yellowish with a red-to-purple wing petal edge, or sulphurous green with rosy wing petals;[1][3] they form pseudoracemes or terminal panicles, 6–26 centimetres (2+12–10 in) long.[3] The fruit is a linear legume, 7–8 cm long and 5–6 millimetres (31614 in) wide.[3]

Chemically, the tubers contain starch as their predominant carbohydrate, along with smaller amounts of sucrose and glucose, and almost no fructose.[1]

The species is native to Eastern China and Japan.[1][2][3][4] In the wild, it is often found near brooks.[1] It is one of three species in the genus known to produce edible tubers, although it has generally been considered an emergency food source as well as a medicinal plant.[1][2][3] The flowers are showy and have ornamental potential.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Seabrook, Janet E.A. (1973). A Biosystematic Study of the genus Apios Fabricius (Leguminosae) with Special Reference to Apios americana Medikus (M.Sc. thesis). The University of New Brunswick. Fredericton, Canada.
  2. ^ a b c Kinugasa, Haruko; Yasuto Watanbe (1992). "Nutritional Composition of the tubers of American groundnut (Apios americana Medikus)". Sonoda Women's College Studies. 26.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Hu, Shiu-ying (2005). Food Plants of China. Sha Tin, N.T., Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
  4. ^ a b Hidemasa, Shimada. "Hodoimo America (USA Katamariimo)". Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.