Common Name: Wild Potato

General Information

Solanum stoloniferum is a herbaceous perennial plant producing stems 20 - 70cm tall from a tuber-bearing rootstock[].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most species in this genus also contain toxic alkaloids. Whilst these alkaloids can make the plant useful in treaing a range of medical conditions, they can also cause problems such as nausea, vomiting, salivation, drowsiness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weakness and respiratory depression[].
Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[].

Botanical References

Range

South-western N. America - Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, south through Mexico to southern Mexico.

Habitat

Steep hillsides; sandy alluvial stream bottoms; gravel along trails, railways or roadways; field edges; organic moist to dry sandy soil; grassland; juniper-pinion scrub; desert tropical deciduous, fir, pine, juniper or oak forest; 1,040 - 3,700 m[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderate to high elevations in the temperate to tropical zones, where it is found at elevations from 1,040 - 3,700 metres.
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.

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[, ]. (As Solanum boreale)

Tubers - raw or cooked[, , ]. Rich in starch, the tubers can be dried and ground into a powder then used in making bread[]. A type of potato, it is said to be pleasant eating, tasting somewhat like a sweet chestnut[]. When eaten raw the potatoes are mixed with clay[]. One report says that, after every mouthful of raw potato, a person would take a bite f white clay to counteract the unpleasant astringent effect of the potato in the mouth[]. The roots are fairly small, averaging about 15mm in diameter[]. (As Solanum fendleri)

Medicinal

The raw tubers have been used in the treatment of gastric distress due to hyperacidity[]. (As Solanum fendleri)

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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 mid spring.