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The Scientific Classification of Potatoes

Potatoes have a long history, dating back at least seven thousand years, long before the Inca empire in South America famously began their cultivation. According to History Magazine, wild potatoes may have grown in the South American region as far back as 13,000 years ago. Today, potatoes are a common food cooked in a variety of different ways. Scientists have given the potato the classification of Solanum tuberosum, Latin for "soothing tuber."

  1. Potato Characteristics

    • Most potato skins are brown, yellow, or red. Approximately 100 types of potatoes are available for consumption. Large, mature potatoes and smaller, new potatoes offer differing tastes and flavors for matching with another food dish. The potato provides essential nutrients, such as vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. The only significant nutrients it lacks are vitamins A and D, as well as calcium.

    Potato Structure

    • A potato is a type of tuber. A tuber is not a root, but an outgrowth of the above-ground stem structure. The potato body consists of multiple eyes, or buds, that grow new plants. Cut a potato in half and plant each piece in a garden. Each will produce one or more stems, and subsequently produce more potatoes within the soil.

    Unique Scientific Classification

    • The potato is part of the Solanaceae family, which includes the deadly nightshade plant. In fact, the potatoes' leaves and stems contain alkaloids, or poisons, that can cause illness. The potatoes themselves contain trace alkaloid amounts before cooking.

    Nature's Defense Mechanism

    • The potatoes' toxic family members also include the tomato, eggplant, and peppers. All of these foods have toxins within the stem and leaves for preventing wildlife from consuming the plant in its natural environment. However, the plant needs a form of reproduction for continuing the species. Wildlife cannot eat the stem and leaves, but they can eat the tasty tomato or eggplant, spreading the seeds from the consumed food.

    Historical Significance

    • During the 1600s, lower classes did not view the potato as a sufficient supplement to their meals. In fact, they viewed the tuber with distrust since the rest of the plant was poisonous. However, the upper classes embraced the tuber, eventually encouraging the lower classes that it was an edible, and tasty, complement to any meal. In time, certain cultures became so dependent on the tuber, that crop-destroying blights could create widespread famine--as happened in Ireland in the mid-19th century.

    Warning

    • Cook the potato thoroughly and cut off any new buds extending from the potatoes' eyes. The small new buds contain alkaloids that can cause diarrhea, headaches, and cramps. The cooking heat destroys any alkaloids within the potatoes' body. Luckily, potato poisoning is extremely rare, as long as the potato is thoroughly cooked, reports the website Food 2 Good Health.

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