What Ice Age morning glory feeds millions of people?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
October 23, 2001
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Save 10% on all Design Toscano Garden Statues and Fountains,
only in the month of April. Use Priority Code CJPSTATUE.
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.
Sweet Potato, O’Henry, Georgia Jet Sweet Potato—>Click here.
100% alpaca wool: throw, 'Earth Flowers', and poncho, 'History's Promise'—>Click here.
The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) [ip' o me a ba ta' tas] is a member of the morning glory family. It yields more nutrition (carbohydrates and beta-carotene) per acre than any other crop and it has become a vital food resource throughout the tropics.
Archaeologists have found the remains of sweet potatoes in Chalca Canyon in Peru dating to the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago. These first cultivators of the sweet potato were people of adversity, living short and brutal lives. They somehow came to taking the first tentative steps to changing the way they lived.
The sweet potato was a plant almost waiting for cultivation, it did not need knowledge of agriculture to grow nor did it demand many hours of labor. It suited those beginnings. Along with the potato (Solanum tuberosum), the sweet potato became a staple of numerous indigenous civilizations of the Peruvian Andes.
We know that Sir John Hawkins introduced sweet potatoes to England in 1565. They were known to English herbalists as Sisarum Peruvianum, the Peruvian carrots. Hawkins may also have been the person who introduced the plant to Africa since he was the first English slave trader.
The Spanish under Philip II built the Armada, the large armament-laden fleet. Philip, determined to bring the world under Spanish rule, figured bigger was better; better to exploit the riches of the Americas and to trounce the English.
Hawkins and his cousin, Sir Francis Drake, were more than rankled at this display of Spanish might. The English Sirs figured that at sea maybe it was better to be small and fast rather than big and slow. The slender English galleons proved to be the correct choice to rule the seas. But for all the battles fought, it was the choices of simple things that had the most impact on the world.
So what about the sweet potato? Like the potato and cassava, the sweet potato was delegated to feed the slaves and the poor. Three of the most nutritious food plants were frowned upon by the wealthy except as provisions for laborers. It is an interesting thought that in the distant past, groups of South American "Indians" domesticated simple hardy plants that not only let the unfortunate endure, but would feed millions of people in the future.
The Botany Department of University of Hawaii at Manoa has a beautiful photograph of a blooming sweet potato vine. To view the photograph, click on the link:
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/ipo_bat.jpg
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
Why should potatoes be stored in the dark? Herbal Folklore - October 8, 2001
What slave food is more valuable than Inca gold? Plants that Changed History - October 9, 2001
What is a hairy potato? Renfield's Garden - October 10, 2001
What was the great Potato War? What's in a Name? - October 12, 2001
What common food plant was used for hunting? Herbal Folklore - October 15, 2001
What toxic plant feeds 500 million people? Plants that Changed History - October 16, 2001
What plant was blamed for the deaths of children? Herbal Folklore - October 22, 2001
How do sweet potatoes protect themselves? Renfielsd's Garden - October 24, 2001
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
Unique Professionally Designed Gardens
Springhill Nursery®
Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you.
Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!
NOVICA's Mission
NOVICA®
In association with National Geographic, Novica today serves as an online arts agent for more than 1,700 artists in countries around the world. Visitors to the Novica Web site can read about the artists, explore their cultures, view photographs of their work and select from more than 8,500 handcrafted works.
Novica arts and technology teams (staffing Novica offices in El Salvador, Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela and Zimbabwe) interview each artist, photograph their artwork, post the interviews and photographs online, and handle all packing and shipping on behalf of the artist. International couriers deliver the artwork directly to customers, eliminating numerous middlemen and transferring the savings to creator and customer alike.
Read more about NOVICA...
|
|
|
|
Sweet Potato, O’Henry
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery®
100 days-Flavor like no other!
Even if you’ve never been a fan of sweet potatoes before-you have to try O’Henry. Unique and wonderful flavor is reminiscent of nuts and honey, not at all heavy and cloying like some sweet potatoes can be. Your mouth will be watering before you even get this one out of the oven – while baking it fills your kitchen with the aroma of sweet, warm honey. Lovely golden flesh is stringless and slightly drier than traditional sweet potatoes.
Large tubers grow in a compact cluster underneath the plant, making harvesting a cinch – no more accidentally slicing into that giant prize tuber with your spade!
|
|
This Item Ships In The Spring
Click here - $20 off any order of $50 or more at Henry Fields Seed and Nursery Co!
|
|
|
Georgia Jet Sweet Potato
Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
Our Runaway Favorite!
Gurney's Choice Famed for enormous harvests and quality crops all across the country! Georgia Jet Sweet Potatoes are a superb baker, with sweet and meaty deep orange flesh and a rich, sugary aroma that fills your kitchen whenever these orange-gold tubers are tucked into the oven. 100 DAYS.
Baked, boiled, mashed or fried, potatoes belong in everyone’s pantry and garden! Our sets are especially fast and easy- we ship them precut, with just the right amount of flesh around the eye.
|
|
This Item Ships In The Spring
Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
Comments: Prized for cold-tolerance, productivity. 2.5 times yield of standard varieties. High Vitamin A content. Thrives in both North and South. Set plants out 1-2 weeks after danger of frost is past. Soil temperature should be 60 degrees F. Mound soil over row as plants grow until the ridge is 8-15 inches high. Fertilize before planting and 3-4 weeks after. Cultivate to keep vines from rooting where they touch the ground. Harvest is determined by root size, sweet potatoes do not ripen; harvest immediately if nipped by frost in fall. Cure 6-8 days at 85 degrees and 90% humidity after harvest. Store at 55-60 degrees and 85% humidity (low humidity causes shriveling). Spread: Up to 20 feet in warmer areas.
|
100% alpaca wool throw, 'Earth Flowers' (twin)
NOVICA®
|
Large Picture
|
|
Hand-woven in soft earth tones, ancient flower motifs bloom on bold bands of color. Faustino Maldonado and his family weave this extraordinary throw from alpaca wool.
The natural colors create a soothing sensation of beauty. Prized by the Inca, alpaca wool is fine and lightweight yet extraordinarily warm.
You save 51%
Click here.
"I will never let go of either my grandfather or my grandson's hands, for what I have learned from the elders, I will teach to the young."
Faustino Maldonado's artistry has been featured in Sunset magazine.
|
|
Maldonado Family
Faustino Maldonado was born in Hualhuas. Because his parents and grandparents were artisans, he learned at an eary age to weave on rustic looms, to prepare the warp using the pushca, and spin on the rueca. Since he first started weaving, Maldonado has mastered the art and has immensely improved the quality of his textiles.
Maldonado's work is a representation of the art that has been passed down from generation to generation within his family. The family motto has been, "I will never let go of either my grandfather or grandson's hands, for what I have learned from the elders, I will teach to the young." Based on this family philosophy, Maldonado and his relatives have been making large bedspreads in high relief without any stitching. They also proudly craft sheep wool and alpaca tapestries, purses, backpacks, cushions, and vests. The Maldonado family's works have become increasingly popular.
|
100% Alpaca wool poncho, 'History's Promise'
NOVICA®
|
Large Picture
|
|
Vines swirl next to Inca glyphs as Dayanna Carbonel innovates traditional Andean attires. She designs the poncho with a v-neck, open sides, and the back is longer than the front.
She knits the original poncho from baby alpaca wool, regarded as the alpaca's first shear. It is prized for its lightweight warmth.
You save 46%
Click here.
"It's so exciting to know that I can do something for others and that, together, we form a single team."
|
|
Dayanna Carbonel
"I was born a Peruvian and I'm proud of my roots. This led me to the decision to enter the world of textile arts with my knitting and our Andean culture.
"I began working with knitting, crochet and weaving in 2002. I remember that I traveled a lot in the sierra and I enjoyed seeing so much of my homeland. I realized it has so much potential. I loved seeing the techniques used there and the colors fascinated me. I became aware that this was a part of my life, and to this day, I have never left it. Textile arts are so important as I strive to create new things.
"I learned to knit as well as to design. As time went by, I looked for artisans who could help me with the final finishing of my pieces. And so I was able to offer them work to help their families and support their homes. It's so exciting to know that I can do something for others and that, together, we form a single team.
"In this way, we achieve the very best quality in our colors and designs. I'm very demanding with my garments. Crafting my own designs has been my greatest challenge. I hope you like them."
|
|
|
Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
This survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.
|
|
You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening. Can also be used as a landscape tree in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7, which includes New England, the Midatlantic states, and much of the Midwest.
Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Tree will be approximately 8"H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.
|
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic®
|
|
You are invited to roam the world in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Explore the diversity of our planet's lands and inhabitants in compelling stories covering topics such as animals, nature, science, technology, culture, history, travel, adventure, exploration, and geography. The monthly National Geographic magazine is your key benefit of membership.
Additional benefits include:
- As many as five wall map supplements throughout the year in issues of the magazine
- A personalized Membership Certificate
- Special discounts on selected products
- The opportunity to examine special Society products free in your home before deciding to purchase
- The privilege of traveling the world with the Society's educational travel tour programs
- The satisfaction of supporting important research, conservation, education, and exploration projects
|
|
Join the Society and bring the adventure of National Geographic into your home!
Click here.
|
| |
killerplants Recommended Smart Stores
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 BACK TO TOP
|
|
