Indian Rushpea - Hoffmannseggia glauca
Warm Springs Wash
NE of Hillsboro, NM, USA
August 29, 2016
We found many Hog Potato plants (Hoffmannseggia glauca) growing in the beds of the old mining roads near Hillsboro during August 2016.
The range of this species within the United States is shown on the BONAP map to the right. Light green means that the species is native to, and not rare within, the county indicated. Pink indicates that the species is considered noxious in that county. It is also found in Mexico.
This species is also known as Indian Rushpea, Pig Nut, and Waxy Rush Pea. It has several scientific synonyms, including Hoffmannseggia densiflora and Hoffmannseggia falcario.
The Spanish name for this species is Camote de Raton (Mouses Sweet Potato) and probably refers to the edible nodules on the roots of this species. The Native American Ethnobotany Data Base lists a number of tribes which used the roots of this plant as a food source.
The species was originally described by Casimiro Gómez Ortega. The specimen shown below was collected by Charles Christopher Parry as part of his duties for Emory’s Mexican Boundary Survey. Parry was a famous botanist and mountaineer, among the plants named for him is Parry’s Penstemon.
