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Habitats
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Cultivated Beds;
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Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.
Edible Uses:
Tubers - raw or cooked[2, 103, 183]. An acid lemon flavour when first harvested, if left out in the sun the tubers turn sweet[183], so sweet in some varieties that they are said to resemble dried figs and are sold as fruits in local markets in S. America[34, 37, 97, 196]. The cooked root is delicious whether in its sweet or acid state, it can be boiled, baked etc in similar ways to potatoes[K]. The tubers tend to be rather smaller than potatoes, with good sized specimens reaching 8cm or more in length. The slightly waxy skin makes cleaning them very easy[K]. They contain about 70 - 80% moisture, 11 - 22% carbohydrate, 1% fat, 1% fibre and 1% ash[196]. The carbohydrate is rich in sugar and easy to digest[196]. Acid types are rich in oxalic acid (up to 500ppm) but sweet forms have much less oxalic acid than is found in potatoes[196]. Edible young leaves and flowers - raw or cooked[34, 37, 103]. Poor quality[33]. Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet,
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Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
None known
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Cultivation details
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Prefers a light rich soil in a warm sunny position[1, 37, 196]. Tolerates a pH range from 5.3 to 7.8[196]. Plants succeed in areas with an average rainfall ranging from 570 - 2150mm per year[196]. Oka is widely cultivated in the Andes for its edible tubers, there are many named varieties[33, 97]. This species has an excellent potential as a major root crop in temperate zones, it has the potential to yield as highly as potatoes but does not have the susceptibility to pests and diseases that are a bugbane for potato growers[K]. Plants are slightly more hardy than the potato, tolerating light frosts but the top-growth being severely damaged or killed by temperatures much below freezing. The main drawback is that development of the tubers is initiated by the number of hours of daylight in a day. In Britain this means that tubers do not begin to form until after the 21st of September and, if there are early frosts in the autumn, yields will be low[37]. There are possibly some forms in southern Chile that are not sensitive to daylength, these will be more suitable to higher latitudes such as Britain[196]. It is said that the varieties with white tubers are bitter because they contain calcium oxylate crystals whilst those with tubers that are of other colours are sweet[97]. However, we are growing one variety with white tubers and it most certainly is not bitter[K]. Yields tend to average about 7 - 10 tonnes per hectare but experimentally yields of 40 tonnes per hectare have been achieved[196]. Earthing up the growing stems as they start to form tubers can increase yields significantly[196].
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Propagation
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Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer. Seed is not usually produced in Britain. Harvest the tubers in late autumn after the frosts have killed off top growth. Store in a cool dry frost free place and plant out in April. Basal cuttings in spring[196]. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
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 You can download this page as a PDF
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Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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[33]Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table.
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Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.
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[34]Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants.
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Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.
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[37]Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant.
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Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
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[97]Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.
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A very interesting book covering quite a lot of information on plant uses in S. America although many of the plants are not suitable for temperate areas..
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[103]Haywood. V. H. Flowering Plants of the World.
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Very readable and well illustrated, it lists plants by families giving the basic diagnostic features and some details of plant uses.
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[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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[196]Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas
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An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
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Subject : Oxalis tuberosa
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