Ground pear, Potato bean
Apios fortunei

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a climbing plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It has tuberous roots. The small branches have a few soft hairs. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. There are 3-7 leaflets. They are oval or sword shaped. They are 3-7 cm long by 2 cm wide. The flowers are greenish-white. They are 6-8 mm long. They are in groups 6-27 cm long at the end of branches. The fruit are narrow pods 7-8 cm long and 5-6 mm wide.

There are 10 Apios species. Chemical composition: Protein = 4.2%. Fat = 0.2%. Carbohydrate (starch) = 18.3%. Carbohydrate (other) = 6%. Ash = 1.3%.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in sunny damp soils. In China it grows between 300-1,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, USA

How it is used for food

The thick tubers are eaten. The starch is also used to make alcohol.

They are an emergency or famine food.

Edible parts

Root, tuber

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Apios cavaleriei H. Lev.;