Solanum maglia

Schlecht.

Maglia

Solanaceae Edible: Root, Tubers Potential hazards — see below 174 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Perennial herb, frost tender, with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by insects. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Adapts to mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun and prefers consistently moist soil.

Description

A potato plant. It is a herb that grows 50-150 cm tall. The leaves are divided and 16-28 cm long by 9-19 cm wide. The tubers are small and slightly bitter.

Edible Uses

The roots can be eaten raw or cooked. They are rich in starch and represent a type of wild potato, though the tubers are fairly small and carry a slightly bitter flavour.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many if not all the members have poisonous leaves and sometimes also the unripe fruits.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,800 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Chile, South America,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils. Dislikes wet or heavy clay soils. Prefers a slightly acid soil, the tubers are subject to scab on limy soils or those deficient in humus. Yields best on a fertile soil rich in organic matter. This plant is one of the S. American species of potatoes. It is not frost hardy but can probably be grown in much the same way as potatoes are grown by planting out the tubers in spring and harvesting in the autumn. Plants might have strict daylength requirements and may yield poorly in temperate zones because they need short-days in order to induce tuber-formation.

Propagation

Sow seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick seedlings out into a fairly rich compost as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on quickly. Plant out after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, propagate by division. Harvest tubers in autumn once frost has cut back the top-growth, then store them in a cool, frost-free place over winter and replant in April.

Other Uses

None known

Notes

There are about 1400 Solanum species.

Also Known As

Malla, Malle, Papa cimarrona, Papa de zorro

References (6)

Cordero, S. E., Abello, L. A., & Galvez, F. L., 2017, Plantas silvestres comestibles y medicinales de Chile y otras partes del mundo. CORMA p 240
Grun, P., 1990, The Evolution of Cultivated Potatoes. Economic Botany, Vol. 44, No. 3, Supplement: New Perspectives on the Origin and Evolution of New World Domesticated Plants pp. 39-55
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 614
Hort. hal. 1:6. 1841
Leon-Lobos, P., et al, 2022, Patterns of Traditional and Modern Uses of Wild Edible Native Plants of Chile: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Plants (Basel) v 11 (6) Table S1

Show all 6 references