Andigena
Solanum andigenum

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

Solanum andigenum is a PERENNIAL. It is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0

Where it is found

Cultivated as a food crop, it is not known in the wild.

S. America - Colombia, Peru..

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - cooked. This species has the largest tubers of all the species cultivated in the Andes, it has a good content of protein (12% dry weight compared to 8 - 10% for the cultivated potato) and is rich in starch and vitamin C.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Succeeds in most soils. Dislikes wet or heavy clay soils. 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. Plants might have strict daylength requirements and may yield poorly in temperate zones because they need short-days in order to induce tuber-formation. This species is commonly cultivated for its edible tubers in S. America. Yields are often low but 30 tonnes per hectare have been recorded. Plants are susceptible to late blight. This species is the immediate ancestor of the potato of commerce, S. tuberosum, though the tubers look rather different. A tetraploid species, probably derived from S. stenotomum by chromosome doubling or by hybridization with S. sparsipilum, it produces fertile seed.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

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.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Solanum tuberosum andigena