Wapato Native Plant
Their family name sagittaria saj ee tar ee uh means arrow and describes the leaves of a lot of members in this family.
Wapato native plant. Its scientific name is sagittaria latifolia from the latin sagittaria saj i tare ee uh meaning arrow shaped and latifolia lat i fole ee uh for wide leaf wapato came to the corps attention on october 22 1805 near the mouth of the deschutes river. Flower stalks with white blooms and arrow shaped leaves reach above the surface. The leaves are arrow shaped sagittate. Yes it s the aquatic plant sagittaria arrow shaped cuneata e.
W apato wah puh toe the indians called it. The base is partially submerged in the muck giving rise to the roots and rhizomes below. Leaf stems attach directly to the base of the plant like celery. Also known as arrowhead arrowleaf indian potato swamp potato and duck potato wapato produces starchy tubers which were an ethnographically known food source for native groups throughout much of north america.
The leaves and flower stalk rise above the water. They are found in non desert north america. Sagittaria latifolia is a plant found in shallow wetlands and is sometimes known as broadleaf arrowhead duck potato indian potato or wapato. Wapato is an herbaceous wetland plant.
Wapato cultivating native tubers. Wapato sagittaria latifolia willd. Abstract wapato sagittaria lat olia willdenow. Yard talk native plant nurseries native plant resources rain barrel information and sources restoration plantings honey i shrunk the lawn.
Wapato is a perennial plant that is native throughout north america. Historically it was a staple food crop for people wherever it grew and continues to be a popular native food plant. Look up your local version because they vary. Wapato no plants selected.
Shoreward cottonwood and western birch blaze gold against the clear blue skies and slopeward maples burn fleeting red hues amongst the more temperate evergreens. It is the season of contrast and each day of sunshine is preciously coveted by veterans of our gloomy cascadian winters. This plant produces edible tubers that were extensively used by the indigenous peoples of the americas. Alismataceae water plantain family a tuberous starchy carbohydrate food plant is frequently mentioned in ethnographies historic accounts and archaeological reports concerned with the halkomelem speaking katzie first nation located in the fraser valley region of southwestern british columbia.
Tubers grow in wet soil beneath the water surface. Environmental stewardship department of natural resources and parks water and land resources division.