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| The Indian Potato and it's origins. |
"Indian Potato (Ipomoea pandurata, Convolvulaceae) -- A Record of Confusion" appears in the Economic Botany website because the Indian Potato, according the biology of this plant, is not an actual potato...hence the title name. The author of this article is Daniel F. Austin and his home institution is Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona. The article is basically about the confusion of the plant being claimed to be a potato; however, it is not a potato. Confusing, right? When Europeans first settled in America and discovered this plant, they believed it to be a potato due to a man's identification of the roots by saying "(These roots [of potato] are called Openauk in Virginia)"(pg 410) when, in fact, the roots are of a morning glory species. According to the article, several plants were claimed to be part of another species than the Europeans believed and were renamed after a common European plant name. I personally find it interesting that Europeans would try to name a plant species to something that was similar to the plant they knew back at home. What is even more appealing about the article is about how the Indian Potato was confused with another species called
Apios, a plant that Indians ate when famine occurred. The Indian Potato is actually used to treat kidney stones due to several scientists claiming the plant to be an edible laxative (but very bitter and varies on palatability). I find it fascinating how the author discovers several things about the Indian Potato but does not try it for himself to see if it is truly edible (why would an economic botanist writer not eat what he writes about?); but, I do not believe I will try it either, I dislike bitter things. But who knows, maybe one day I'll have to expel kidney stones and eat the roots of the Indian Potato (hopefully not, *knocks on wood*). Or, hopefully, the Indian Potato won't get confused with
Apios and then I'll be full of roots and kidney stones...aahhh the confusion! Haha! If you are interested to read this article, here is the link: http://www.springerlink.com/content/l81871742q8303j4/ Enjoy! :)
