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The toxic part of potatoes is the solanine. Which starts to be present when the potatoes start turning green. Potatoes start turning green once they're expose
by LoveMortuus 5y ago
The toxic part of potatoes is the solanine.
Which starts to be present when the potatoes start turning green.
Potatoes start turning green once they're exposed to light. That's because potatoes are actually just stems of the plant and are thus capable of growing a whole new plant.
So... If you prevent the potatoes from getting green but keeping them in the darkness, then your should be good. Not an advice of any kinds, just a botanist sharing love~
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- mdoms 5y agoIs there a name for things that grow like potatoes? I'm sure this is a horribly ignorant question, but as someone who's pretty ignorant about plant lifecycles my brain is organised around the seed -> plant -> flower -> fruit(?) -> seed lifecycle familiar to anyone growing a chilli plant or herbs like coriander. I have accidentally grown potatoes in my compost pile and I still struggle to understand how we go from "one potato" to "shitloads of potatoes". I guess because it happens underground it's so mysterious to me.
- tinsmith 5y agoI think the word you are looking for is "tuber," but if there is a botanist in the house, hopefully they can clear it up. Now I'm curious.
- morelisp 5y agoPotatoes are stem tubers. Sweet potatoes are probably the best known root tuber in the US; cassava is also a root tuber and better known worldwide. But, the term the GP is looking for is "stolon" I think.
- dec0dedab0de 5y agoPotatoes do have seeds. When you cut up a potato and get 4 new plants it's like taking a cutting from a tree.
- wbillingsley 5y ago"Root vegetable" is the common (non-botanical) one.
- morelisp 5y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolon - they're pretty common, but yes potatoes are somewhat rarer in growing underground. Keep in mind they also still grow "normally" from seeds; there are true "potato fruits" (completely inedible due to the solanine) produced from flowers that contain seeds which grow new potatoes. It's just not economical to grow them this way. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_fruit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_fruit
- LoveMortuus 5y agoI'm not sure what the correct translation would be (I'm Slovenian), but it's something like differentiated stolom or just stolom. Basically it's an asexual reproduction. Thus in a way you're eating undeveloped babies. :D Here's a pretty cool thing to think about: An apple is a grandchild of the tree. Thus the saying an apple doesn't fall far from the tree would, correctly speaking, mean that the person is just like their grandparent and not just like their parent.