Solanum jamesii
Solanum jamesii is a species of nightshade. Its range includes the southern United States. All parts of the plant, and especially the fruit, are toxic, containing solanine when it matures. The tubers were/are eaten raw or cooked by several Native American tribes, but they require leaching and boiling in clay in order to be rendered edible. The tubers are also extremely small when compared to familiar varieties of S. tuberosum. Escalante Valley in Utah boasts the oldest known cultivation sites of the Four Corners potato, dating back over 7,000 years, and the plant is so prevalent there that a former name for area was "Potato Valley". S. jamesii is sometimes grown in yards or gardens as an ornamental plant, and there have been recent experiments in Escalante, Utah to start growing it as a food vegetable again.
