Solanum tuberosum (Potato)

A staple ingredient in the human diet, Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are cool-season vegetables used in countless dishes worldwide. Grown for their nutritious, starchy tubers, Potatoes are frequently served boiled, mashed, fried, or baked.

• Potatoes belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which includes tomato, eggplant, and pepper.
• Potatoes are native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes. Cultivated by the Incas as early as 1,800 years ago, they were introduced into Europe by the Spanish conquerors during the second half of the 16th century. They became a major crop in continental Europe and Ireland. The Irish economy became dependent upon the Potato in the 19th century. However, its potato crops, which had become the primary food source, were devastated by late blight (Phytophthora infestans), resulting in the Irish Potato Famine.
• Sometimes called White Potato or Irish Potato, Potatoes grow well in cool climates.
• The edible part of a potato plant is the tuber, the swollen ends of its underground stems.
• The tubers bear buds (eyes) that grow into new plants when the conditions are right.
• Sweet Potato is botanically unrelated to the Potato.

Types of Potatoes