番薯 Ipomoea batatas

  • Scientific Name: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.
  • Ref: Tabl. Encycl. 1(2[2]): 465.1793
  • Synonym: Convolvulus batatas Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 154. 1753; Batatas edulis (Thunberg ex Murray) Choisy; Convolvulus candicans Solander ex Sims; C. edulis Thunberg ex Murray; Ipomoea batatas var. edulis (Thunberg ex Murray) Makino; I. batatas var. lobata Gagnepain & Courchet; I. edulis (Thunberg ex Murray) Makino; I. fastigiata var. ciliata Huber
  • English Common Name: sweet potato, yam (US)
  • Chinese Common Name: 番薯 fānshǔ, 甘薯 gānshǔ, 地瓜 dìguā (辽/鲁), 红苕 hóngsháo (鄂/川/黔), 山芋 shānyù (江/浙/闽), 山药 shānyào (冀), 白薯 báishǔ (京/津), 红薯 hóngshǔ (晋/豫)
  • Japanese Common Name: サツマイモ [薩摩芋] satsumaimo
  • Family: CONVOLVULACEAE Morning Glory Family 旋花科
  • Genus: Ipomoea L. Morning Glory 番薯属
  • Distribution: Cultivated throughout China, sometimes persisting from cultivation, but doubtfully naturalized [Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, Australia, North America, Pacific Islands, South America, cultivated worldwide]
  • Photo: 10/04/2010, Mt. Jiulong, Suichang
 Herbs annual, with ellipsoid, fusiform, or elongated subterranean tubers; sap milky; axial parts glabrous or pilose. Stems prostrate or ascending, rarely twining, green or purplish, much branched, rooting at nodes. Petiole 2.5-20 cm; leaf blade broadly ovate to circular, 4-13 X 3-13 cm, margin entire or palmately 3-5(-7)-lobed, herbaceous; lobes broadly ovate to linear-lanceolate, sparsely pilose or glabrous. Inflorescences 1- or 3-7-flowered; peduncle 2-10.5 cm, stout, angular; bracts early deciduous, lanceolate, 2-4 mm. Pedicel 2-10 mm. Sepals oblong or elliptic, ± unequal, glabrous or pilose abaxially, margin ciliate, apex acute, mucronulate, outer 2 sepals 7-10 mm, inner 3 sepals 8-11 mm. Corolla pink, white, pale purple to purple, with a darker center, campanulate to funnelform, 3-4 cm, glabrous. Stamens included. Pistil included; ovary pubescent or glabrous. Capsule rarely produced, ovoid or depressed globose. Seeds glabrous. 2n = 84, 90*.(Flora of China)

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