Definition

Noun: 1. A North American plant with edible tuberous roots: A densely hairy perennial plant (Psoralea esculenta) native to central North America, historically valued by Indigenous peoples and early settlers for its nutritious, starchy root.

Usage Notes

• "Pomme blanche" is a specific botanical term. In everyday conversation, it is more common to refer to the plant by its other names, such as prairie turnip, breadroot, or tipsin.
• The term is used to identify the plant itself, its root as a food source, or in historical/ethnobotanical contexts.

Examples

• The Dakota people traditionally harvested the pomme blanche in early summer.
• Lewis and Clark's expedition journal mentions surviving on pomme blanche when other food was scarce.
• You can sometimes find pomme blanche growing in undisturbed prairie habitats.

Advanced Usage

• Ethnobotanical Context: The term is often used in discussions of Native American foodways and traditional ecological knowledge.
  • The preparation of pomme blanche involved peeling, drying, and grinding the root into flour.

Variants and Related Words

• Prairie Turnip (n): The most common English name for the plant.
• Breadroot (n): Another common name, highlighting its use as a flour source.
• Tipsin (n): A name derived from Dakota language (teepsin).
• (n): The scientific botanical name.

Synonyms

• Prairie turnip
• Breadroot
• Tipsin
• Indian breadroot

Related Phrases/Idioms

• To dig for pommes blanches: Refers to the historical activity of harvesting these roots.
  • The women would go out in groups to dig for pommes blanches.

Noun

1. densely hairy perennial of central North America having edible tuberous roots