Download Erigenia bulbosa

HARBINGER-OF-SPRING
When the warmer weather arrives and the snow melts, many people take to the woods
to seek out the first signs of spring. One of those first signs is the tiny wildflower,
Harbinger-of-Spring (Erigenia bulbosa [Michaux] Nuttall). This plant is the only species
within this genus.
Harbinger-of-Spring is a member of the Order Apiales, the Suborder Apiineae, the
Family Apiaceae, and the Subfamily Apioideae. It has not been listed in a Tribe. Older
references list the family as Umbelliferae.
The generic name, Erigenia, is from the Greek word, Erigeneia, which is “spring
born”, “born in the spring”, or “early born”. Erigeneia was the name Homer gave to Eos
(a.k.a Aurora), the goddess of dawn. The specific epithet, bulbosa, is Latin for “bulbous”
or “swollen”, referring to its root system.
Another scientific synonym for this species is Sison bulbosum Michaux. Other
common names for this plant are Pepper-and-Salt, Ground Nut, Turkey Pea, and Turkey
Foot.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HARBINGER-OF-SPRING
Perennial
Height: Its height is 2-10 inches. Its height increases after flowering.
Stem: Its stem is hollow, stout, smooth, longitudinally ridged, erect or reclining, and
purplish or red-brown with a light green base. There may be more than 1 stem.
Leaves: The leaves do not fully unfold until after the flowers have gone to seed. These
leaves must obtain enough food from photosynthesis before the leaves of other plant
species have matured and have shaded out this plant.
Basal Leaves: Its basal leaves are numerous
Stem Leaves: Its 1-2 stem leaves are alternate, palmately compound, and are twice
divided into 3 delicate, fern-like leaflets. Each leaflet is over 1½ inches wide and is
divided into narrow oval, oblong, or lobed toothless segments with rounded tips. These
leaves are sheathed at the base of their petioles, which clasp the stem.
Flowers: Its flowers are terminally arranged in small, simple, rounded, umbelled clusters.
Each umbel is subtended by leafy bracts. Each umbel has about 1-4 stalked, ½-3/4 inch
wide umbellets with about 1-6 sessile flowers each. Each umbellate is subtended by leafy
bractlets. Each flower is radially symmetrical, about 1/16-1/8 inches long, and about ¼1/3 inches wide. The flower has 5 narrow white or pink petals; 5 tiny sepals; 5 stamens
with red-brown, purple, or red-black anthers; and 1 pistil with a divided white style. All
flowering parts are attached at the base of the ovary. Flowering season is January to May.
These flowers stay in bloom for about 1 month.
These flowers are insect-pollinated, mostly by Bees (Superfamily Apoidea) and by
Flies (Order Diptera). The early spring weather must be warm enough for these
ectothermic (cold-blooded) insects to pollinate.
These flowers contain very small amounts of nectar. This nectar only contains the
sugar fructose.
Fruit: Its fruit is a smooth, dry, seed-like schizocarp. It is about 1/16 inches wide and
slightly flattened. It has 5 slender ribs and a persistent 2-prong style. It later splits into 2
segments with each segment having only 1 seed.
Roots: Its roots are a deep, small, rounded tuber or corm with fibrous roots. They are not
true bulbs. These corms store food over the winter and allow the plant to emerge in early
spring. Unlike other plants, these roots do not have a mycorrhizal association with the
fungi. This plant can spread by its roots and can form loose colonies.
Habitat: Its habitats consist of rich, open deciduous woods; floodplains; streambanks;
slopes; terraces; roadsides; and leaf litter.
Range: Its range covers most of the eastern U.S. and Ontario. It excludes New England
and Florida.
Uses:
Harbingers-of-Spring had some uses. Both the Native Americans and the early
European settlers used it.
The Cherokee Tribe chewed upon this plan to treat toothaches. It is not known which
part of the plant was used.
The tuberous roots are edible in the early spring. However, they are deeply buried and
are difficult to obtain. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They probably sustained many
Native Americans when other foods were scarce.
REFERENCES
WILDFLOWERS OF WISCONSIN
By Merel R. Black and Emmet J. Judziewicz
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION FIELD GUIDE TO WILDFLOWERS OF NORTH AMERICA
By David M. Brandenburg
WILDFLOWERS IN THE FIELD AND FOREST
By Steven Clements and Carol Gracie
THE HISTORY AND FOLKLORE OF NORTH AMERICAN WILDFLOWERS
By Timothy Coffey
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EDIBLE PLANTS OF NORTH AMERICA
By Francois Couplan, Ph. D.
WILDFLOWERS AND WEEDS
By Booth Courtenay and James H. Zimmerman
MISSOURI WILDFLOWERS
By Edgar Denison
EDIBLE WILD PLANTS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
By Merritt Lyndon Fernald and Alfred Charles Kinsey
WILDFLOWERS OF OHIO
By Robert L. Henn
WILDFLOWERS AND FERNS OF INDIANA FORESTS
By Michael A. Homoya
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
By Don Kurz
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA’S WILDFLOWERS
By Louis C. Linn
NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS
By Daniel E. Moerman
NEWCOMB’S WILDFLOWER GUIDE
By Lawrence Newcomb and Gordon Morrison
EDIBLE WILD PLANTS
By Lee Allen Peterson
WILDFLOWERS
By Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny
BORN IN THE SPRING
By June Carver Roberts
THE USES OF WILD PLANTS
By Frank Tozer
WILDFLOWERS OF NORTH AMERICA
By Frank D. Venning and Manabu C. Saito
LIFE AND LORE OF ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
By William E. Werner, Jr.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erigenia_bulbosa
www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/harbinger.htm