― Flower/Fruits Axillary inflorescences, abundant with numerous small flowers, magenta (red-purple), green-yellow alone or with red-purple. The fruit is dry and indehiscent
Genetic Makeup x = 12. Wild ullucos (subsp. aborigineus) are all triploid (2n = 3x = 36). The cultivated ullucos (subsp. tuberosus) are diploid (2n = 2x = 24), triploid (2n = 3x = 36) and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48).
References Malice, 2009; Malice and Baudoin, 2009.
Plant Pachyrhizus species
Origin South-western Mexico native
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Fleshy tuberous root, succulent white interior.
― Stem Perennial habit, Herbaceous vine.
― Leaf Dentate-palmate leaflets
― Flower/Fruits Variable pods and Seed colour (olive green-brown-reddish brown).
Genetic Makeup n = 11
References Zanklan, 2003
Plant Tropaeolum tuberosum
Origin Andean origin
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Yellow-white to purple-grey and black tubers with less variability contrary to oca and ulluco, possessing deep, wide and narrow eyes (axillary buds) without bracts.
― Stem An annual 20–80 cm High herbaceous plant. Cylindrical, Green to purple-grey, branched, Stems of 3–4 mm thickeness.
― Leaf Yellow-green to dark green. Foliage color. 5–6 cm width, tri- or pentalobate leaves.
― Flower/Fruits Flowers are solitary and zygomorph. Five sepals of intense red color are united at the base; the three higher forming a spur of 1–1.5 cm length.
Genetic Makeup x = 13. Cultivated mashua- are tetraploid. (2n = 4x = 52).
References Grau et al., 2003
Plant Helianthus tuberosus
Origin North America
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Tuber color and size vary greatly in cultivars ranging from purple, brown to red. knobby to round clusters, elongated and uneven, typically 7.5–10 cm long and 3–5 cm thick, and vaguely resembling ginger root. The root system is fibrous with thin cord-like rhizomes that grow as long as 127 cm.
― Stem Variable plant height, a large, gangly, multi-branched herbaceous perennial plant, 1.5–3 m tall. The stems are stout, ridged and can become woody over time. Rough, hairy, sandpapery leaves and stems, leaves are opposite on the lower part of the stem and alternate near the top of the stem.
― Leaf The lower leaves are larger and broad ovoid-acute and can be up to 30 cm long, while the higher leaves smaller and narrower.
― Flower/Fruits Flowering stage varies in cultivars. Numerous yellow flower heads, Flower heads occur separately or in groups at the ends of main stems and alar branches. Each flower head is 5–7.5 cm wide and made up of many small, yellow, tubular disk flowers in the center, surrounded by 10–20 yellow ray florets.
Genetic Makeup 2n = 102. hexaploid species
References Yong Ma et al. 2011; Kou et al., 2014
Plant Alocasia macrorrhiza
Origin Japan
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Stem-like corms, mostly growing above ground, with only the bottom 6 ′′ or so rooted in soil, with purplish, yellow or white depending on the cultivar flesh.
― Stem Long, thick, woody, 1 m length. Large-leaved aroid, flowering plant in the arum family, Araceae.
― Leaf Erect, bluntly triangular leaves, long elongated petioles, arrow-shaped leaves, shallow-rounded lobes.
― Flower/Fruits Readily produce flowers, large clustered inflorescence, consisting of peduncle, spathe and spadix.allogamous, protogynous.
Genetic Makeup Chromosome number wild plant is 28.
References Furtado, 1941; Nguyen, 1998; Ivancic et al., 2009; Mead, 2013; Takano et al., 2014
Plant Cyrtosperma chamissonis, syn.: C. merkusii
Origin Indo-Malay center of origin, coastal New Guinea, Solomon Islands or West Melenesia.
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Corms of 5–10 kg, cylindrical shape, small, medium and large size (30 cm to >50 cm), yellow, white, orange, pink, red, purple and other colors of corm cortex.
― Stem Giant swamp taro is a true giant among plants, height of 3–4 m.
― Leaf Saggitate leaves that can grow up to 3 m long, atop spined petioles.
― Flower/Fruits Flower stalk dark green to light green, purplish green, reddish green, Spadix yellow and enclosed, white exposed, light yellow, pink, orange, red. Spathe yellow reddish-brown striped, yellowish-brown, yellowish-green, yellow, bright orange, purplish green, yellowish-pink.
Genetic Makeup 2n = 28
References Jackson, 2008; Mead, 2013; Rao et al., 2014
Plant Daucus Carota Subsp. Sativus
Origin Native to temperate regions of Europe and Southwest Asia, wild ancestors probably originated in what is today Afghanistan, the center of diversification of this taxon.
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Enlarged fleshy taproot, cylindrical to conical, 5–50 cm long, 2–5 cm in top diameter, reddish violet, orange, yellow or white color, green top, core deeply pigmented and of darker color than phloem part.
― Stem An annual or biennial erect herb, 20–50 cm tall at vegetative stage and 120–150 cm during flowering stage.
― Leaf 8–12 long-sheathed petiole possessing pinnately compound, rosette and glabrous leaves, 2–3 pinnate leaf. Blades, linear ultimate lobed segments.
― Flower/Fruits Compound umbel inflorescence, 50 or more umbellate, each of which has ∼50 flowers, bisexual flowers, protandry, epigynous with 5 small sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens and 2 carpels, 2 mm long developing fruit.
Genetic Makeup The haploid chromosome number for Daucus ranges from n = 9 to n = 11. n = 126 for subsp. sativus.
References Tavares et al., 2014; Spooner et al., 2014; Kalia, 2008
Plant Pastinaca sativa
Origin
Morphological features/ Identification marks
― Roots/tubers Tap rooted; strong fibrous collar is very rarely present, mainly absent.
― Stem Biennial, 25 cm–200 (300) cm range for plant height. Straight, erect stem in all species except Pastinaca zozimoides, where it is angled. Besides Pastinaca lucida all species have hairy stem.