Practical
Plants

Solanum phureja

Phureja

a perennial member of the Solanum genus in the family Solanaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Solanum
Life cycle
perennial
Flower type
hermaphrodite

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[3]. High in vitamin C, starch and protein, it has a stronger flavour and firmer texture than the cultivated potato, S. tuberosum[4].

Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
S. America - Venezuela to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Habitat
Not known
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
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][6]. 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]. It is cultivated for its tubers in the Andes, there are many named varieties[4]. Plants might have strict daylength requirements and may yield poorly in temperate zones because they need short-days in order to induce tuber-formation[4]. Tubers can be harvested in 3 - 4 months from planting out[5]. Tubers from this species lack a period of dormancy, a useful trait in warmer climates than Britain where 2 - 3 crops can be grown but it makes the plant very problematic for temperate areas[4]. This potato has become popular in the Netherlands because of its resistance to disease[4]. (The report does not say if it is grown there or imported[K].) A diploid species, it probably arose from S. stenotomum through selection for short dormancy[4]. It has been hybridized with the common potato to impart greater heat tolerance to that species[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas National Academy Press 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-309-04264-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  6. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

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