Solanaceae FAMILY

Solanum ajanhuiri

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].

Botanical Description

Solanum ajanhuiri is a perennial plant growing 40 - 70cm tall[ 435 Title Solanaceae Source Publication Author Website http://solanaceaesource.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Incredible detail on all the species in Solanum (now also including the Tomatoes which were formerly in Lycopersicon). The site will eventually include all other Genera within the Solanaceae. ]. This species include the various diploid forms of the potato. It is gathered from the wild and is also cultivated for its edible tubers in the Andes[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeS. America - Bolivia and Peru, in the Andes.

HabitatFound in very cool windy sites in the Andes at elevations between 2,800 - 4,100 metres[ 196 Title Lost Crops of the Incas Publication Author Popenoe. H. et al Publisher National Academy Press Year 1990 ISBN 0-309-04264-X Description An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America. ]. In cultivated fields in the high Andean altiplano between southern Peru and central Bolivia, at elevations between 3,700 - 4,100 metres[ 435 Title Solanaceae Source Publication Author Website http://solanaceaesource.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Incredible detail on all the species in Solanum (now also including the Tomatoes which were formerly in Lycopersicon). The site will eventually include all other Genera within the Solanaceae. ].