Narrative
A cooked product with taste and aroma similar to white potato. Grows well under not, humid conditions. Good resistance to flea beetles (Systena elongata and S. blanda), the southern rootknot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita), and fusarium wilt or stem rot (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. batatas). Much lower flavor intensity, similar to other staple crops (e.g., cassava, potato, rice). Excellent potential for developing commercial cultivars with low flavor impact. Annual prostrate, vining plant. Alternate, ovate leaves, tip abruptly pointed acute to acuminate, base truncate to weakly cordate, margins entire with occasional irregular angled teeth, veins green to purple with greater anthocyanin toward the base and on the abaxial side, blade intermediate to dark green with anthocyanin largely restricted to veins, leaf length to width ratio typically 1.03, leaf size intermediate and variable, substantial leaf shedding especially late in season. Petioles green to purple, length varying with age and canopy density. Vines more or less circular in cross-section, 1 to 1.5 meters in length, generally green with little anthocyanin. Storage roots obovate, light tan exterior with fresh roots having a cream interior. Growing period 120 to 140 days. In baking trials, flesh color white with yellowish tint with roots displaying little fiber or discoloration. Sugar concentration markedly less than the traditional cultivar 'Jewel.' When prepared as french fries, absorbed less fat (6.9%) than 'Jewel' (10.6%) and had a distinctly better appearance and texture. Yields less than most widely grown traditional North American cultivars (e.g., 'Beauregard' and 'Jewel').