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Potato🥔
Solanum tuberosum
ジャガイモ
A perennial (treated as annual in cultivation) native to the Andes of South America. The underground tubers are eaten and deeply integrated into Japanese cuisine in dishes such as nikujaga, curry, and croquettes. Rich in starch, vitamin C, and potassium, it became widespread in Japan from the late Edo to Meiji period. Hokkaido produces approximately 80% of the national crop.
Identification Points
- ✓White to yellow, globose to ovoid tubers form underground
- ✓Odd-pinnately compound leaves with a shape typical of Solanaceae
- ✓White to pale purple star-shaped flowers
- ✓Greened tubers contain toxic solanine
Habitat
Fields and farmland
Season
Spring crop: planting February–April, harvest June–July
3D Specimen Model
Kyushu University, Shikano Lab (CC0)
View on Sketchfab→Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Compound
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf shape
Ovate
Growth form
Herb
Petal count
5 petals
Petal fusion
Fused
Habitat
Cultivated
Stipules
Absent
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionナス科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Solanales > Solanaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Belongs to the same genus (Solanum) as tomato, but domesticated an underground tuber rather than a fruit as the edible organ. Brought to Europe by Spain in the 16th century and spread worldwide.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification