The Early European Potato: its character and place of origin.

Abstract

SUMMARY From an examination of 139 varieties of the species Solatium andigenum, it has been possible to establish on the basis of leaf characters six different intergrading groups which show a transition from what is regarded as a typical 8. andigenum type, to one no less typical of the domestic European varieties commonly known under the specific name of S. tuberosum. It is suggested that there is, in fact, one, not two, species of cultivated potatoes with the chromosome formula of 2n= 48, and that one is 8. andigenum. The use of the term S. tuberosum is convenient as indicating the specialization which has overtaken varieties derived from one of the 8. andigenum group forms in Europe, and another in Chiloé and Chile. That the place of origin of the European potato is to be sought for in the northern extremity of the distribution area of 8. andigenum, and that Colombia is its most likely location. That the potato left some northern port in South America, possibly Cartagena, and that at least one importation reached Spain at the port of Seville not later than 1569.

Potato virus Y; the Andean connection

“…The first potatoes to be taken to Europe from South America arrived, most likely at the Canary Islands in the 1560s, and thence to other parts of Europe in the second half of the 16th century, and later to other continents (Salaman and Hawkes 1949; Salaman 1954; Hawkes 1990; Brown 1993; Hawkes and Fransisco-Ortega 1993; Brown and Henfling 2014). The initial shipments from South America were small, and there has been much lively discussion about their source.…”

Origin and evolution of Andigena potatoes revealed by chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers

“…Very wide morphological and physiological variability has been recognized in Andigena (Salaman 1946;Hawkes 1956;Simmonds 1964;Glendinning 1968;Ugent 1970;Oliver and Martínez-Zapater 1984;Ochoa 1990). Extreme overlapping character states in Andigena form a large variable complex, which makes even separation from S. tuberosum subsp.…”

Progeny mean, heterosis and heterobeltiosis inSolanum tuberosum x tuberosum andS. tuberosum x andigena families under a short day sub-tropic environment

“…andigena potato (referred to as andigena) is short dayadapted and is the important evolutionary source of Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum potato (referred to as tuberosum) which is long-day adapted (Salaman, 1946(Salaman, , 1954Salaman & Hawkes, 1949;Simmonds, 1964). Tuberosum is known to have a narrow genetic base (Hawkes, 1967;Plaisted, 1972) and little improvement is observed in tuber yield and its components among the recombinants produced by crossing within tuberosum parental clones (van der Plank, 1946;Howard, 1963;Simmonds, 1969Simmonds, , 1976Mendoza & Haynes, 1974).…”