Description

Giant potato is a type of morning glory plant. Like the sweet potato, it belongs to the Ipomoea genera. Giant Potato (Ipomoea mauritiana) is a perennial, climbing herb producing stems up to 10 metres long from a tuberous rootstock The stems can be woody near the base, becoming herbaceous near the tips, they scramble over the ground, or twine into other plants for support. The plant is cultivated in Indonesia for the tubers, which are used medicinally, and is sometimes also grown as an ornamental.

Characteristics:

It grows as a vine. The origin of Ipomoea mauritiana is unknown, it is there all over the tropics. It is naturalised in many parts of the world. This vine has stems that can grow to 10 m. Leaf blade is circular in outline, 7-18 X 7-22 cm, usually palmately 5-7-divided to or beyond middle, rarely entire or shallowly lobed. Inflorescences few to many flowered. Flowers are pink or reddish purple, with a darker center, funnelform, 5-6 cm across. Glabrous twining shrubs with tuberous roots. Leaves palmately 5-7-lobed, 6-12 x 5-9 cm, base cordae, acuminate at apex of lobations; petiole 4-8 cm long. Inflorescence axillary, few to many-flowered cymes; peduncles 6-12 cm. Calyx-lobes subequal, c. 8 mm long, broadly ovate, glabrous. Corolla large, pink, widely campanulate; tube 2.5-3 cm long, limb spreading, 4-5 cm across, glabrous. Stamens included. Ovary 4-locular. Capsule c. 1 x 0.8 cm, ovoid. Seeds 4, ovoid, black, wooly.

Medicinal Uses:

The leaves and roots are used externally to treat tuberculosis and for the treatment of external and breast infections. In Ayurveda, a decoction of the tuberous roots are used for the preparation of medicinal wine. The Ayurvedic name is Kiribadu Ala, and it is also an ingardient in Chyavanprash.  It is also used in the treatment of fevers and bronchitis, diseases of the spleen and liver, menorrhagia, debility and fat accumulation.