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Psoralea argophylla (common name silverleaf Indian breadroot) is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family. The species is native to the central United States, as well as the three Canadian prairie provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Psoralea argophylla grows naturally on forb, and it grows perennially.

It is considered to be a perennial flower that can live either 3 or more years. They are considered to be violet, but it can have blue flowers in late summer. This plant blooms around the months of July and August.

Extra Information
It is considered a photoautotroph. It is also known as Silver Scurfpea. Psoralea stems from Greek meaning psoraleos or “scabby”. Argophylla means “silvery-leaved” in botanical Latin. They vary in size but their maximum height is 60 cm (around 2 feet). At maturity, they are less than a quarter-inch long. It is also considered a hermaphrodite by including both "male and female organs" and insects pollinate this plant.

Parts of the Flower
The leaves can change from colors such as green all the way to silver. "Alternate, palmately compound, main stem leaves 4- or 5-foliolate, branch leaves 3-foliolate; stalks .5 to 2 inches long; leaflets elliptic to oval, .5 to 1.5 inches long, silky-white hairy." This plant can also become a "tumbleweed" as the stem snaps after its cycle of growth. The stem is often in a zigzag shape and there can be more than 1 actual, physical stem. Fruits are small as an egg-like structure and are smooth with a brown tint to its color.

Bean Family (Fabaceae)
"It is considered to be the third largest family among the angiosperms after Orchidaceae and Asteraceae." It composes of around "670 genera and nearly 20,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs." Fab means bean in Latin. Plants associated with this family have leaves and legumes.

Spotting the plant
The plant is easy to quickly recognize as the parts of the plant that include the leaves and the stem give it a bright, silvery-gray color. It is usually found in prairies, valleys, and hillsides.

Uses
There is a medicinal use of the silverleaf Scurfpea. A tea can be made and used as a medicine to help reduce fever and help wounds. It is possible to eat the root from being dried and ground into a powder. It is used in all kinds of foods including soups, etc. (Natural Medicinal Herbs). Native Americans would use plant to treat fevers for example.

History
The German man named Frederick Pursh describes this species for the first time in 1814. There are many plants brought upon from Lewis and Clark’s expedition. They documented about the silver-leafed scurfpea on October 17th with the discovery from Pursh.

Potential Hazards
Some other plants of the same genus as the Psoralea argophylla have furanocoumarins and it can cause photosensitivity in actual people. There are some organic chemical compounds within furanocoumarins. They can also be found in fruits such as grapefruit and pomelo (hybrid between orange and Citrix maxima).