|
Air potato has roundish stem that can reach 60 to 70 feet in length.
|
|
Air potato grows quickly, around 8 inches per day, and easily climbs to the top of the tall shrubs and trees. "Hosts" often die as a result of lack of light (which is essential for the process of photosynthesis).
|
|
Air potato has broad, heart-shaped, green, glossy leaves that are alternately arranged on the stem. They have prominent leaf veins that arise from the base of leaf.
|
|
Air potato produces inconspicuous, pale green or white, fragrant flowers arranged in clusters in the axils of leaves. Male and female flowers develop on the separate plants (dioecious plant).
|
|
Air potato blooms during the autumn and early winter. Small insects, such as thrips, are responsible for the pollination of this plant.
|
|
Fruit of air potato is capsule filled with partially winged seed.
|
|
Name "air potato" refers to the numerous bulbils (potato-like tubers) that grow on the stem and hang in the air.
|
|
Bulbils of air potato are shaped like a mushroom cap. They are dark brown colored and covered with dark spots on the surface.
|
|
Ripe bulbils of air potato can be large as a softball. They have beige orange flesh, mild taste and slimy texture.
|
|
Young bulbils of air potato are used in human diet. They are usually prepared and consumed in the same way as yam and sweet potato. Air potato can be also used for the preparation of pancakes, miso soup, tempura and curry. Wild, uncultivated varieties of air potato, such as those growing in the USA, are bitter, tasteless and often toxic.
|
|
Air potato propagates mostly via bulbils.
|
|
People manually remove plants and use various chemicals to eliminate air potato from the occupied areas. Leaf beetles from Nepal that consumes leaves and bulbils of air potato is used as biological weapon against this plant.
|
|
Air potato is rich source of substance called diosgenin that is used for the industrial manufacture of steroid hormones.
|
|
Air potato is used in treatment of conjunctivitis, dysentery, sore throat, diarrhea, jaundice and diabetes in Asian medicine.
|
|
Air potato is perennial plant (life span: more than 2 years).
|
