Solanum mamilliferum
a perennial member of the Solanum genus in the family Solanaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Solanum
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many if not all the members have poisonous leaves and sometimes also the unripe fruits.
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Root - cooked[5].
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- S. America - Colombia, Peru..
- Habitat
- Not known
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into a fairly rich compost as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on fast. Plant them out after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the tubers in autumn after the top-growth has been cut back by frost. Store the tubers in a cool frost-free place overwinter and replant in April.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in most soils[1]. Dislikes wet or heavy clay soils[2][4]. Prefers a slightly acid soil, the tubers are subject to scab on limy soils or those deficient in humus. Yields best on a fertile soil rich in organic matter. This plant is one of the S. American species of potatoes. It is not frost hardy but can probably be grown in much the same way as potatoes are grown by planting out the tubers in spring and harvesting in the autumn[K]. Plants might have strict daylength requirements and may yield poorly in temperate zones because they need short-days in order to induce tuber-formation[3].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas National Academy Press 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-309-04264-X
Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00