Jil wanted this message to go out to the WBC:


Drs. Mario Morales (Director, Medicinal Botanicals Program) and Joyce
Foster (Research Biochemist, USDA, Agricultural Research Service) are
seeking volunteers to help collect groundnut
(Apios americana) seed pods and tubers. Groundnut is native to the eastern
region of the USA and is being looked at for its good nutritional value and
possible use as forage for domesticated animals! See attached flyers and
contact info, below.

-Patricia

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA 22203
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Field Collection of Apios americana (groundnut)


DESCRIPTION: Apios americana, groundnut, is a slender, climbing, perennial
native counter-clockwise twining vine 1 to 6 meters in length with
alternate, odd-pinnately compound leaves that may consist of 3-9 pointed
ovate leaflets, but typically five to seven leaflets, that are usually 2.5
to 7.5 cm. in length. Apios flowers are rather large, numerous, usually
pink to purplish or brownish-purple-red and fragrant. Flowers are usually
about 12 millimeters long and occur in compact racemes 75 to 130
millimeters long. The flowers are distinct in having a relatively large
concave standard with a small hood at its apex into which the narrow-sickle
shaped keel is hooked. Flowering occurs from July to September and the
resulting seed is a many seeded linear legume pod 5 to 11 cm. long. When
supporting vegetation is available, Apios may climb to a height of 2 m.
Tubers are produced near the soil surface on rhizomes. Rhizomes may extend
to a length of 2 meters or greater and several tubers may be produced along
the length of the rhizome similar to a “string of pearls”. The photographs
below should assist with proper field identification.

Typical Apios americana foliage and flower
[Had to be deleted as the file size was too large; \see:
http://www.mountainstate.edu/usda/newsletters/PDF/08-2007.pdf]


Line drawing of typical Apios americana, groundnut, tubers


[Had to be deleted as the file size was too large; contact John Vandevender
for info.]


WHERE USUALLY FOUND: Apios americana is distributed in eastern North
America from southern Florida to Nova Scotia west through southern Canada
to southeastern Manitoba, southwest to eastern Colorado and south to
southern Texas. The primary habitat for Apios is in wet soils along creeks,
rivers and lakes, where it may often form dense colonies. Please refer to
the attached PLANTS Database generated state maps for the known county
level distribution of Apios. Individual state maps which illustrate the
known distribution of Apios by county are available at:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=APAM&photoID=apam_003_ahp.tif


Reminders: Obtain landowner's permission to collect from private property.
Obtain a permit to collect on Forest Service land. No collecting is
allowed on Park Service land. Some states have specific regulations
regarding the collection of native plants material, so please check with
the Dept. of Natural Resources or Dept. of Agriculture, whichever entity
handles plants in your state, before collecting.


WHAT TO COLLECT: Collect 2 to 3 foot sections of rhizome with attached
tubers from at least 10 plants throughout the colony, but do not deplete
the stand’s potential for continued regeneration. Also, collect enough stem
and leaf material to fill a quart sized plastic storage bag. If available,
include a quantity of mature seed pods (up to 20 pods per collection).
Collect enough soil to fill a second quart sized plastic bag from each
site. Complete an NRCS-ECS-580 Plant Collection Form and the supplemental
observed traits sheet for each collection made. Include GPS coordinates for
the collection site, where feasible, and provide good directions on how to
find the site, so someone unfamiliar with the area could locate the
collection site, if needed. Write these directions on the back of the
NRCS-ECS-580 Form.


WHEN TO COLLECT: Collect rhizomes, vegetative material and soil only after
positively identifying the plant. This means that collections should be
made mid to late summer or early fall. Dormant rhizome and tuber
collections may be requested at a future date.


HOW TO HANDLE COLLECTION: Wrap the collected vegetative material in plastic
(a suitable sized plastic bag will suffice) with a few (2-3) moistened
paper towels and place all collected materials and the completed collection
form in a box for shipping. Contact Joyce G. Foster, USDA, ARS,
Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, 304-256-2809,
joyce.foster@...,gov to obtain a FedEx account number. Ship materials
by FedEx for NEXT DAY DELIVERY to:


John Vandevender


USDA-NRCS


Alderson Plant Materials Center


Old Prison Farm Road, County Route 3/29


Alderson, WV 24910


304-445-3005


John.Vandevender@...

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dr. Joyce G. Foster
Research Biochemist
USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center
1224 Airport Road
Beaver, WV 25813-9423
Voice: (304) 256-2809
Fax: (304) 256-2921
E-mail: Joyce.Foster@...

Dr. Mario R. Morales, Director
Medicinal Botanicals Program
Mountain State University
P.O. Box 9003
Beckley, WV 25802-9003