Name: __________________________________		Hour: ___________

Most plants store food in the form of _________________ usually in underground ___________ or modified _______________.  Nearly all starchy crops are propagated ___________________ and not planted from ________________.  The ________________, ________________ ______________, and __________________ are among the top ten crops grown in terms of tonnage.

In many herbaceous perennial plants modified ____________ serve as a protected food reserve.  Runners or ______________ are above ground stems that produce __________ and __________ at the nodes.  These buds develop into ____________________.  Horizontal stems just below the surface are known as _____________________.  Scale like leaves are present and ___________________________ roots form along the underside.  The enlarged storage tips of a rhizome is the __________________.  The “eyes” of a _________________ are actually __________ located at the nodes.  Bulbs and _____________ are modified stems as well and are monocots.  Bulbs not only give rise to a new plant, but can multiply themselves.  _______________ roots are modified fibrous roots that have become fleshy and enlarged with food reserves.  Examples include begonias, dahlias, and _______________  _________________.  In other plants, ___________ are often food-storing organs of biennial plants like _______________, rutabagas, and turnips. They differ from tuberous roots in that the taproots are an enlarged __________________ root.

The White Potato

Although the white potato, _____________________ tuberosum is associated with Ireland and Idaho, its origins trace back to the _______________ highlands of South America.  Nearly _________ years ago, Indians collected the wild potato ancestors of our modern cultivars.  The potato was introduced to _____________ sometime during the mid to late sixteenth century.  At first, potatoes were grown as a curiosity and later as food for _____________________.  Europeans were slow to accept the potato because relatives of the plant were known to be ___________________ or hallucinogenic.  Many assumed the _____________ were also deadly.  In fact, the tuber is the only safe part as all above ground parts are indeed __________________. 

Nowhere is Europe was the potato accepted as readily as in ______________________.  The _____________________ and __________________ in Ireland were ideal for the potato.  The poor in Ireland survived on potatoes.  On average, and adult consumed _____________ pounds of potatoes each day.  However, reliance on a single crop set the stage for disaster in the Irish potato famine from 1845 - _______________.  The most lethal pathogen of the potato is a _______________ that causes a condition known as late _______________.  The fungus attacks and destroys the _____________ and ____________ thus stopping tuber growth.  In addition, the tubers themselves are attacked and __________ in the ground.  The fungus can kill a plant within a ___________.  It is estimated that over one ____________________ people died from starvation or other virulent diseases as a result of this agricultural disaster.  Another 1.5 million _____________________ to all parts of the world, but largely to the United States.

The Potato in the United States

Europe and the republics of the former Soviet Union produce _________% of the world potato crop with ___________ as the 2nd leading producer.  U.S. production is only _____% of the world total.  The word potato was derived from the ______________ Indians from the native word batata, which actually referred to the _______________ potato, not the white potato.  Potatoes are grown in nearly every state, but ____________, _____________________, and _____________ are the top producers. About _____________  of the harvest is consumed fresh but over half are made into frozen French fries, chips, dehydrates flakes, or other products.  The deep frying a potatoes originated in _______________ and was introduced by ________________  __________________ during his presidency.  The potato ___________ was later introduced by George Crum in Saratoga N.Y. when a customer complained about the thickness of his fried potatoes.

The cultivated potato belongs to the genus _________________ which is a large genus of over 2,000 species.  Potatoes are a bushy, herbaceous _____________ with alternate arrangements of large ________________ compound leaves.  The fruit is a multi-seeded ____________ but potatoes rarely produce seeds due to the picky temperature and daylight hours necessary to produce fruit.  Potatoes have two kinds of stems; the ordinary _________________ bearing stems and underground ________________ that end in tubers.  Anatomically, a tuber is a modified version of a ______________ stem with enlarged pith.  Sometimes, in potato chips the __________________ tissue often appears as a darkened ring.  The potato is a _____________ weather crop.  It must be propagated by __________ potatoes which are small whole tubers with at least one ___________ which are actually buds.  This type of cultivation is _______________ producing an exact clone of the donor plant.  A certified seed potato is said to be ________________ free.  This is important because many potato diseases can be spread through infected _______________.

Potatoes are susceptible to diseases other than blight and are attacked by many ______________ pests.  The __________________ potato beetle can devastate potatoes as well as other Solanaceae members such as ____________________, _______________________, and _____________________.  Although insecticides have been used, many have become ___________________ to chemical pesticides.  As a result, many farmers are resorting to natural means; using the bacterium Bacillus _____________________ or Bt for short.

Many of today’s potato cultivars can be grouped into four families: The round ______________, ________________,  round ______________, and long _______________.  ________________ and _________________ are common round whites long prized for their all purpose nature.  The Russets, also known as _________________ are elongated and make excellent baking potatoes.  The round reds and ling whites are usually sold as ________ potatoes.  Potatoes are rich in _______________________ and contain a high quality _____________.  They are virtually _________ free and have no ________________________ making them a heart friendly food.

Sweet Potato

Although the common name implies a relationship to the white potato, sweet potatoes are actually members of the __________________ family.  The sweet potato is propagated _________________________.  Slips produce the __________________ roots in specially prepared beds.  Sweet potatoes can also be grown by vine _________________.  _____________________ discovered the sweet potato on his first voyage to the New World and was introduced to Spain on his return.  The sweet potato was considered a delicacy in Europe and was a favorite of King ____________________.  The sweet potato is believed to be native to ________________  ___________________.  Today, the sweet potato is a significant crop grown in tropical climates and used a _____________________ feed as well as an important _______________ staple.  __________________ dominates the world’s production of the sweet potato.  Two distinct varieties are recognized: the ______________-fleshed variety of the north and the sweeter deep _________________ variety of the South.  Like the white potato, the sweet potato is a nutrient rich vegetable, but it contains about _______ % more calories.

Cassava
Cassava is mainly unknown to Americans except in the form of _________________ pudding.  Cassava ranks ____________ behind grains like rice and corn as a source of calories for humans.  Cassava also has its origins in South America, most likely in the area of _______________.  Cassava is a tall shrub with ____________________ compound leaves.  It is similar in appearance to sweet potatoes but is much ___________________.  The propagation of cassava is distinctive because none of the ___________ is used.  Instead, _____________ cuttings are used.  Cassava can also be grown from ________________.  Many varieties of this tolerant crop exist.  Some varieties can go up to ______ months without water.  Another advantage is its ability to grow in nutrient __________ soils.  Cassava can resist many fungal diseases and insects, especially ________________ which can periodically plague Africa.  Depending on the variety, Cassava can be harvested from ____ months to ____ years after planting.

When processing cassava, it’s important to remove the poisoness ____________________ acid.  In South America, the traditional preparation produces a meal called __________________.  The peeled roots are _________________ and _________________ through a long, cylindrical basket.  The resulting mash is ___________________ until dried making it safe to eat and easy to store.  A bread made from the mash called ________________ is where the word cassava is derived from.  Even with proper processing, a small amount of ________________ can be found in cassava.  Normally it combines with ________________ stores found in the body in proteins.  ___________________ is the main nutrient supplied by cassava and unfortunately, the root is very low in ____________________.

Other Underground Crops

  The large Dioscoreaceae family boasts several hundred species and at least 10 major food sources.  One of these is _______________ which have been cultivated for over 5,000 years.  The tubers of the yam can weigh up to ______ kilograms or 88 pounds.  Yams are prepared in ways similar to a ________________.  Medically, the yams tubers were important sources of ___________________, a type of steroid used to make hormones and cortisone.

_________ is the traditional dish of native Hawaiians and is prepared from the corm of the ____________ plant.  The large _________________ of the Taro is also used to wrap and cook food during a luau.  When preparing poi, the ______________ are steamed, crushed and made into a dough that is allowed to ________________ naturally by microbes.  The corms are an excellent source of ___________________ due to the bitter oxalate crystals.

Another carbohydrate-rich staple is the mis-named is the ___________________ artichoke which is a tuber of the North American ___________________________.  The Jerusalem artichoke contains about _____ % protein, no oil, and surprisingly, no ______________.  Instead the carbohydrate inulun, which is a type of monosaccharide ______________ sugar.  The plant has been used as a healthy alternative choice for __________________ because fructose is tolerated better than sucrose.  The taste of Jerusalem artichoke has been described as similar to that of the water _________________.  In North America, it is being promoted as an alternative to corn for ______________ such as ethanol and butanol.