Stolons?

[Rand Nicholson]

Roy wrote:

(snip)
>But what about true tubers? That brings us to Solanum tuberosum, aka
>potatoes (yes, potatoes). These multiply in a manner very similar to our
>stoloniferous arisaemas. A stem emerges underground from the parent tuber,
>travels underground for some distance, at which point a new tuber forms. I
>found a scholarly paper on the web that used the term 'stolon' no fewer
>than 36 times. See:
>
>http://lateblight.bpp.msu.edu/niemira/BAN-dissertation.html/minitube.htm

(snip)in describing the development of tubers as in the case of Irish
>potatoes, the tuber is most often considered the swollen subapical portion
>of a stolon."
>
>My guess is that your Californian mentor is of the former persuasion. I
>would also guess that either one of us can find an authority that will
>subscribe to the terminology of choice. However, I doubt very seriously if
>you can get the lily people, and the hosta people, and the potato heads,
>and especially me, to modify their use of the term 'stolon'.

There are also some growers of tuberous Aroids, such as Amorphophallus
konjac and Sauromatum venosum, who would find it difficult to think of the
protrubrances these tubers grow, which end in small tubers, as anything
other than stolons. Aside from the regular "pupping", I had five 2-4 inch
undergrownd stems ending in fat little tubers grow from one Amorph. konjac
tuber last fall. The stems shrivel in storage leaving the little
"tuberette"(?) to grow on its own. They look very much like the potato
stolon.

Kind Regards and Merry Christmas, All!

Rand