Perideridia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Perideridia
Perideridia gairdneri subsp. borealis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Subfamily:	Apioideae
Tribe:	Oenantheae
Genus:	Perideridia Rchb.
Type species
Perideridia americana (Nutt.) Rchb. ex Steud. 1829
Species
About 12; see text

Perideridia is a group of plants in the Apiaceae family, also known as the parsley family. These plants are commonly called yampah or yampa. They grow naturally in western North America. Yampah plants look similar to other plants in the parsley family. They have groups of small white flowers shaped like umbrellas, called umbels.

What's in a Name?

The name Perideridia comes from the Greek word perideri. This word means 'necklace'.

What Does Yampah Look Like?

Yampah plants have a special look for the parsley family. They grow quite tall, usually about 1 to 3 feet high. Their leaves are thin and long, like blades of grass, measuring 1 to 6 inches. Because they grow in grassy fields and love sunshine, yampah plants can be hard to spot until their white flowers bloom. Like most plants in the parsley family, yampah produces its flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters. The small roots of the yampah plant are about the size of a large peanut.

Where Does Yampah Grow?

Yampah plants are found in many places across Western North America. They like moist, open meadows and hillsides. You can find them growing at elevations up to about 7,500 feet high.

How People Use Yampah

Native American groups, especially the Plains Indians, called this plant 'Yampah'. They ate its starchy roots, which taste a bit like carrots.

One type, Perideridia gairdneri, was a very important food for Native Americans in Western North America. The roots are crunchy and slightly sweet. They have a texture and flavor similar to water chestnuts.

Yampah roots were often baked or steamed before eating. People said they tasted great and were very healthy. The seeds of yampah were also used to add flavor to food, much like caraway seeds. Yampah roots contain carbohydrates that give you quick energy. Hunters and runners would eat them to help them stay strong during long journeys.

If eaten in large amounts, uncooked yampah roots could help with digestion. They were sometimes used for this purpose in traditional medicine.

It's very important to know that yampah looks a lot like some other plants that are not safe to eat. These include poison hemlock and water hemlock, which are very dangerous. You should never eat wild plants unless an expert tells you they are safe.

Types of Yampah Plants

There are about 12 different types, or species, of yampah plants. Here are some of them:

Image	Name	Common name	Where it grows
Eastern yampah	Perideridia americana	eastern yampah	Midwestern United States
	Perideridia bacigalupii	Mother Lode yampah, Bacigalupi's yampah	Sierra Nevada foothills, California
Bolander's yampah	Perideridia bolanderi	Bolander's yampah	western United States
	Perideridia californica	California yampah	Central Coast Ranges and a section of the Sierra Nevada foothills, California
Redroot yampah	Perideridia erythrorhiza	redroot yampah, western yampah	Oregon in the United States
Gardner's yampah	Perideridia gairdneri	Gardner's yampah, common yampah, Indian caraway	western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico
	Perideridia howellii	Howell's yampah	Oregon and northern California
Kellogg's yampah	Perideridia kelloggii	Kellogg's yampah	San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada foothills, California
	Perideridia lemmonii	Lemmon's yampah	from southeastern Oregon, western Nevada, and the mountains of eastern California
	Perideridia leptocarpa	narrowseed yampah	California, Oregon
	Perideridia montana	Gairdner's Yampah	Montana
Oregon yampah	Perideridia oregana	Oregon yampah, squaw potato	Oregon and California in the western United States
Parish's yampah	Perideridia parishii	Parish's yampah, Sierra Queen Anne's lace	southwestern United States
	Perideridia pringlei	adobe yampah	California

See also

In Spanish: Perideridia para niños