118 Kansas Academy of Science. 



BOTANICAL NOTES, 1917. 



Frank U. G. Ageelius. 

 POTATO "SEED." 



DURING the last year or so there has been some interest 

 shown in the matter of the fruiting of the ordinary 

 "Irish" potato, Solanum tuberosum L. It seems, accord- 

 ing to the discussions, as quoted in the Literary Digest, that the 

 production of fruit by this plant is becoming quite uncommon. 

 This agrees with the writer's observations that such fruits 

 seemingly seldom, or almost never, are produced in our locality. 

 This is a matter of much importance because of its connection 

 with the production of new varieties. The failure of the ovary 

 to mature renders impossible any results along the line of 

 hybridation. 



It is the recollection of the author that he observed matured 

 seed balls on potato plants quite commonly during his boyhood 

 in Wisconsin, but this is a matter of some doubt when not 

 properly noted. However, when we were digging the potatoes in 

 our own garden this past summer, as stated elsewhere in these 

 notes, we observed a fairly well-developed fruit on one plant. 

 It was not well matured, though, and as the part of the plant 

 just below the ball was shriveling, it is quite probable that it 

 would never have ripened seed. It does show that in all prob- 

 bility, however, the cultivated potato is still able to mature 

 its fruit occasionally and in this latitude. 



MORE EVIDENCE ON THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE POTATO 

 TUBERS MORPHOLOGICALLY? 



The past season was decidedly wet during much of the grow- 

 ing period of the potato, Solanum tuberosum L. We har- 

 vested ours in July after the dry period was well advanced. 

 The tops were largely still alive, but they showed considerable 

 evidence of the peculiar phenomenon known as "little pota- 

 toes," due to a fungus, as later noted. The point in question 

 here is that these little potatoes are quite evidently buds. They 

 are produced on the stem and in the axils of the leaves, where 

 buds regularly appear. Furthermore, they had "eyes," gradu- 

 ally changing to evident buds and ordinary leaves farther up 

 toward the top of the tuber. Buds are commonly undeveloped 



