Solanum tuberosum

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Solanum

‘uala kahiki [uala kahiki], potato, white potato

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Sprawling perennial herbs, regenerating from underground tubers (potatoes).

Stems: Stems green, somewhat succulent, young parts sparsely pubescent with simple (rarely glandular, never stellate) hairs, unarmed, during growth underground stolons develop tubers at apex.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (pinnate). Alternate. Blades with 5–9 leaflets, ovate–elliptic in outline overall, leaflets ovate, lower ones rounded or acute, upper ones acuminate, much smaller interstitial leaflets along the leaf rachis, petioles and leaf rachis angular in section, sometimes narrowly winged. Apex acute to acuminate or shortly acuminate. Base generally oblique, rounded to cuneate to cordate. Surfaces nearly glabrous to densely pubescent. Leaflet margins entire to undulate. Petioles 2.5-5 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers few to 10 in leaf-opposed, cymose panicles; peduncles 5–10 cm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic; pedicels 1–2 cm long with an articulation shortly below the calyx. Calyx tube ca. 5 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, 5–8 mm long, apex acuminate. Corolla white or pale violet, subrotate to rotate–pentagonal. Stamens inserted on corolla tube; filaments short and thick, ca. 2 mm long; anthers yellow, oblong, cordate below, 5–7 mm long, opening by terminal slits. Ovary superior, subglobose; style 1, erect; stigma green, terminal.

Fruit: Berries green; succulent; globose; 1.5–2 cm in diameter; often sparsely produced. Seeds numerous; pale reddish brown; obovate to ovate; lenticular; with a small wing at base; ca. 2 mm long; smooth or finely reticulate.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 36; 48; 72; 96

Habitat: Cool temperature regions and higher altitudes in the tropics.

Elevation Range: ca. 2,740 m.

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (434)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Potentially Naturalizing

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
Molokai Only found in cultivation
Maui Potentially Naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 185 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1276 (EM [reportedly naturalized inside Haleakalā Crater, 1927]); Staples & Herbst 2005:528, 536 (KEY), 539 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Solanum tuberosum L. kalaheo, m.emrick, honua farm, kikala rd PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hume, l. collector number: 393 Kauai BISH 7/27/1989
2 Solanum tuberosum L. East Maui, Makawao District, Gulch on Kaupakalua road just before the juction with W Kuiaha road, Haiku Cultivated waste area UNKNOWN R. E. Palmer Maui HAPI 3/4/1998
3 Solanum tuberosum L. George Peabody residence, east end, mile 19 home garden, open valley floor, sunny seacoast PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Evans, M. 11 Molokai BISH 6/30/1990
4 Solanum tuberosum L. Puna District, Hawaiian Acres subdivision, 9 Rd (Private land holding) Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN R. E. Palmer 31011 NY 3/4/1998
5 Solanum tuberosum L. puna district, hawaiian acres subdivision, 9 rd (private land holding) Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN r. e. palmer 31011 NY 3/4/1998
6 Solanum tuberosum L. kaupo gap within haleakala crater, maui, t. hawaii. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 7379 NY 8/20/1927
7 Solanum tuberosum L. KAUAI: Koloa District, Kalaheo. Cultivated by M. Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lynwood Hume 393 Kauai PTBG 7/27/1989
8 Solanum tuberosum L. Kalaheo, M.Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Rd PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hume, L. 393 Kauai BISH 7/27/1989
9 Solanum tuberosum L. Slopes of Haleakala PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Forbes, C.N. 1103.M Maui BISH 8/10/1919
10 Solanum tuberosum L. East Maui, Haleakala Crater, Kaupo Gap PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Forbes, C.N. s.n. Maui BISH
11 Solanum tuberosum L. east maui, haleakala crater, kaupo gap PRESERVED_SPECIMEN forbes, c.n. collector number: s.n. Kauai BISH
12 Solanum tuberosum L. george peabody residence, east end, mile 19 home garden, open valley floor, sunny seacoast PRESERVED_SPECIMEN evans, m. collector number: 11 Molokai BISH 6/30/1990
13 Solanum tuberosum L. Wailua, on Koki Rd. Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN R. E. Palmer 31011 Kauai HAPI 3/4/1998
14 Solanum tuberosum L. kalaheo, m.emrick, honua farm, kikala rd PRESERVED_SPECIMEN hume, l. collector number: 393 Kauai BISH 7/27/1989
15 Solanum tuberosum L. East Maui, Makawao District, Gulch on Kaupakalua road just before the juction with W Kuiaha road, Haiku Cultivated waste area UNKNOWN R. E. Palmer Maui HAPI 3/4/1998
16 Solanum tuberosum L. George Peabody residence, east end, mile 19 home garden, open valley floor, sunny seacoast PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Evans, M. 11 Molokai BISH 6/30/1990
17 Solanum tuberosum L. Puna District, Hawaiian Acres subdivision, 9 Rd (Private land holding) Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN R. E. Palmer 31011 NY 3/4/1998
18 Solanum tuberosum L. puna district, hawaiian acres subdivision, 9 rd (private land holding) Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN r. e. palmer 31011 NY 3/4/1998
19 Solanum tuberosum L. kaupo gap within haleakala crater, maui, t. hawaii. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 7379 NY 8/20/1927
20 Solanum tuberosum L. KAUAI: Koloa District, Kalaheo. Cultivated by M. Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Road. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lynwood Hume 393 Kauai PTBG 7/27/1989
21 Solanum tuberosum L. Kalaheo, M.Emrick, Honua Farm, Kikala Rd PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hume, L. 393 Kauai BISH 7/27/1989
22 Solanum tuberosum L. Slopes of Haleakala PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Forbes, C.N. 1103.M Maui BISH 8/10/1919
23 Solanum tuberosum L. East Maui, Haleakala Crater, Kaupo Gap PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Forbes, C.N. s.n. Maui BISH
24 Solanum tuberosum L. east maui, haleakala crater, kaupo gap PRESERVED_SPECIMEN forbes, c.n. collector number: s.n. Kauai BISH
25 Solanum tuberosum L. george peabody residence, east end, mile 19 home garden, open valley floor, sunny seacoast PRESERVED_SPECIMEN evans, m. collector number: 11 Molokai BISH 6/30/1990
26 Solanum tuberosum L. Wailua, on Koki Rd. Cultivated waste area PRESERVED_SPECIMEN R. E. Palmer 31011 Kauai HAPI 3/4/1998