Solanum tuberosum
Solanum tuberosum
Safety & Hazards
All green parts of the plant, including the green parts of tubers, are poisonous, containing an alkaloid called 'solanine'.[ 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 10 Title Poisonous Plants and Animals. Publication Author Altmann. H. Publisher Chatto and Windus Year 1980 ISBN 0-7011-2526-8 Description A small book, reasonable but not very detailed. , 19 Title Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Stary. F. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3 Description Not very comprehensive, but easy reading. ]. These solanines are also produced in potato shoots when they sprout, even if the potato is in the dark and the shoots are not green[ 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ].
Botanical Description
Solanum tuberosum (the potato) is a perennial plant with a tuberous rootstock, growing around 1 metre tall. One of the most widely grown food plants throughout the world, the potato is a very important staple food. It is very high yielding (50 tonnes or more per hectare have been achieved in some European countries, though at the other extreme yields of little more than 2 tonnes have been achieved in parts of Africa), it stores well and can be available all year round. The potato probably arose through cultivation from several wild species that can still be found growing in S. America. Many of these wild species can be used in breeding programmes for improved disease resistance etc.