In article ,
"Vincent" wrote:

i've heard of a weed vine called the potatoe vine don't know if it
bears any relationship or resemblence to any sort of potato, just
wondering if what is mentioned here is something different?

I think that one you refer to is in the Deadly Nightshade family

Er, all potatoes are -- they're all Solanaceae. Obviously the deadly
nightshade isn't a good one to cultivate, but i'm not sure we even have it
here in Australia. Black Nightshade is a fairly common weed in Sydney -- has
edible black berries. Bit seedy, but sweet. Spuds, tomatoes, eggplants,
ground-cherries, chillies and capsicum too -- all edible, and all related to
deadly nightshade, datura and tobacco.

I always think of this when people make much of the fact that there are no
poisonous members of the cabbage family.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

John Savage wrote:
Anyone heard of a climbing potato?

Apparently not, at least not the edible one of which I spoke!

Thanks for all responses. If further details come to light I'll be
sure to post them.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

G'day All,
I too am familiar with a weed called potato vine, and a mongrel of a
weed it is. It has thick green leaves like a succulent, with hundreds of
rough spud like growths forming along the stem at the nodes. When they drop
they self propagate and off you go again. When you spray it, it only dies
down to the next node,and when you cut it, the thick leaves refuse to
dehydrate,growing like cuttings, and all the spuds fall of and start again.
I've been told by one experienced bush regenerator that in one instance, a
land fill area, that it came back up from over four meters below
ground.Apparently it was a popular plant to grow over the old
'thunderboxes', as it was quick, not unpleasant looking, gave good shade and
shelter for the 'throne', the cows and 'roos largely left it alone, and
finally the spud was used as an instant cure for constipation. I believe it
is on many banned weed lists and I probably won't remember its proper name
until I send this post.
It doesn't look anything like Solanaceae, but in regard to Chookie's post, I
understand that the toxin in green spuds is closely related to the
'nightshade', and tobacco is toxic if ingested rather than chewed or smoked
(( or you could say it just kills you quicker that way :-), and chewing
tobacco isn't swallowed, just to complicate things).


China
Wingham
NSW

G'day again,
Just a couple of links potato vine, but none look
like the plant I was thinking of. The fist is morning glory, and the other
two are Solanaceae. Not much help really.

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1020862.html

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1038092.html

http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1038165.html


China
Wingham
NSW

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 10:25:03 +0000, China wrote:

G'day again,
Just a couple of links potato vine, but none look
like the plant I was thinking of. The fist is morning glory, and the other
two are Solanaceae. Not much help really.


Have a look here

http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.a...2/madeira.html

G'day Jack,
Yes that's the mongrel I was on about.

Truly a weapon of mass destruction, better tell Bush and Honest John!

China
Wingham
NSW