4 ms·

Is 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 m

by mdoms 5y ago

Is 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 ago
I 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 ago
  Potatoes 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 ago
Potatoes 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 ago
https://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 ago
I'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.

by mdoms 5y ago

tinsmith 5y ago

I 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 ago
Potatoes 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 ago

Potatoes 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 ago

https://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 ago

I'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.