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| Sweet Potato
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Ipomoea batatas Linnaeus, |
The genus Ipomoea that contains the sweet potato also includes several garden flowers called morning gloriesIpomoea indica in Baja California Morning glory is one of several climbing plants of the following species, all belonging to the Convolvulaceae: Calystegia stebbinsii Stebbins' morning glory Convolvulus althaeoides Ipomoea arborescens tree morning glory I, though that term is not usually extended to Ipomoea batatas. Some variants of Ipomoea batatas are grown as houseplants.
The edible root is long and tapered, with a smooth skin. Its flesh ranges from white to yellow, orange, or purple. All varieties are more-or-less sweet-flavored. The storage root is not actually a tuberA tuber is a thickened part of a stem or branch, usually, though not always, subterranean, such as a potato. This should not be confused with a tuberous root such as a Jicama or Dahlia which is a similarly swollen root. See Rhizome. even though it looks like one, since it develops from root tissue, rather than stem tissue as true tubers do. Some botanists describe it as a tuberous root.
Under optimal conditions of 85--90% relative humidityRelative humidity is the ratio of the current vapor pressure of water in any gas (especially air) to the vapor pressure at which the gas would become saturated at the current temperature, normally expressed as a percentage. Equivalently, it is the ratio o at 13--16°C, sweet potatoes can keep for six months. Colder temperatures injure the roots.
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiberDietary fibers are long-chain carbohydrates ( polysaccharides) that are indigestible by the human digestive tract. The value of dietary fiber is that it provides bulk to the bolus moving through the digestive tract. There are two great advantages to this:, vitamin CSee Colleen Fitzpatrick for information about a singer called Vitamin C Vitamin C is a water- soluble vitamin used by the body for several purposes. Most animals can synthesize their own vitamin C, but some animals, including guinea pigs, humans, and othe and vitamin B6. In some tropical areas they are a staple food crop. The storage roots, leavesThis article is about the leaf a plant organ. See Leaf (disambiguation) for other meanings. In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the chloroplast con and shoots are all edible. The storage roots are most frequently boiled, fried or baked. They can also be processed to make starch and a partial flour substitute. All parts of the plant are used for animal feed. Industrial uses include the production of starch and industrial alcohol.