― Present classification The genus is taxonomically classified in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboidae, tribus Phaseoleae and subtribe Diocleinae in close relationship to the subtribe Glycininae and Phaseolinae.
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa Its close relatives are the soybean and the Phaseolus beans. P. panamensis is the common ancestor of P. ahipa and P. tuberosus and P. ferrugineus the ancestor of P. erosus.
Infraspecific classification The genus contains 5 species: The Mexican yam bean (P. erosus), the Andean yam bean (P. ahipa) and the Amazonian yam bean (P. tuberosus) are cultivated, whereas P. panamensis and P. ferrugineus are only found wild.
Groups Three cultivated species: P. erosus, from the semiarid tropics of Central America; P. tuberosus from the tropical lowlands of both slopes of the Andean mountain range. Moreover, P. erosus is cultivated in many Southeast Asian countries.
Status To evaluate a broad range of yam bean accessions under field conditions in order to obtain more detailed information about the climatic zones where yam beans can be grown, the agronomic potential of accessions as well as the genetic diversity within the yam bean gene-pool.
References Zanklan, 2003
Plant Tropaeolum tuberosum
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification Tropaeolum L. was referred to originally as Cardamindum Adans. Linnaeus introduced the name Trophaeum (= trophy), because the flowers resembled a warrior’s helmet and leaves resembled shields; he later changed the name to Tropaeolum, using the original Greek word ‘trópaion.
― Present classification Tropaeolaceae, Tropaeolum tuberosum was described by Ruíz and Pavón (1802) in their magnificent work “Flora Peruviana et Chilensis”. T. tuberosum has been placed within the section Mucronata by Sparre (1973). This section includes 5 well-defined species, of which T. longiflorum Killip, T. crenatiflorum Hook. and T. purpureum are endemic to Peru; T. cochabambae Buchenav. occurs in Peru and Bolivia.
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa In the absence of a comprehensive study on the diversity of wild and cultivated forms of mashua, it is difficult to pinpoint a smaller area as the likely center of origin. Similarly, little is known about mashua crop history and dispersal.
Infraspecific classification Sparre and Sparre and Andersson recognize 2 subspecies of T. tuberosum; the cultivated T. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum and the wild T. tuberosum ssp. Silvestre,
Groups The family includes 3 genera, with 2 of them, Trophaeastrum Sparre and Magallana Cav restricted to Patagonia. The largest genus is Tropaeolum, which contains 86 species, distributed from southern Mexico throughout South America.
Status The authors’ does not accommodate clearly wild but tuberous T. tuberosum, such as the “kipa isaño” used by Johns and Towers. Material known to the authors of this monograph from Paruro Province, Cusco, Peru. This material has elongated and twisted tubers, a feature retained in cultivation and setting this species apart from the domesticated variety.
References Grau et al., 2003
Plant
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification
― Present classification
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa
Infraspecific classification
Groups
Status
References
Plant Helianthus tuberosus
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification An infrageneric of Helianthus has recently been proposed
― Present classification The present study uses methods of phenetics, cladistics and biosystematics to produce an infrageneric of Helianthus.
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa
Infraspecific classification Previous investigators have subdivided Helianthus in various ways. DeCandolle placed the species into 4 groups in his key. Torrey and Gray divided the genus into 6 sections, although Gray later used only 2 groups.
Groups Watson divided the genus into 2 artificial sections based on the color of disc corollas (a trait that is variable within some species). Heiser placed the species into 3 sections and 7 series based primarily on underground characteristics and crossing results.
Status It has become an interesting research topic and it is even labeled as a new cultivated crop.
References Schilling and Heiser, 1981
Plant Alocasi macrorrhiza
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification First published by Necker, Elem. Bot. 3rd (1791), an isonym derived from Arum macrorrhizon.
― Present classification
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa C. gigentea
Infraspecific classification Difference in varieties may lead to their as species.
Groups The varieties are grouped as typical and nigra (longer spathe than enclosed spadices) and the second group as variegata, marmorata and rubra (spathe with equivalent or commenserate length to spadices).
Status Distinguishing different races and varieties is difficult.
References Furtado, 1941
Plant Cyrtosperma chamissonis, syn.: C. merkusii
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification
― Present classification
― Close alliance plants/Origin taxa
Infraspecific classification
Groups Wilson (1968) recorded 14 Cyrtosperma chamissonis.
Status Only edible form of its genus.
References Manner, 1993
Plant Daucus Carota Subsp. Sativus
Taxonomic position
― Earlier classification The economic importance of at least some of its members (e.g. Daucus carota subsp. sativus, the common cultivated carrot, and Cuminum cyminum, cumin), the tribe was an obvious group to study. Moreover, the group is monophyletic upon the inclusion of Laserpitieae and Scandiceae. Unfortunately, we have not examined material of Angoseseli, a rare monotypic genus of tropical Angolan distribution. This species was at one time referred to the genus Caucalis.