Ullucu
Family Basellaceae
Ullucus tuberosus, ullucu (U. tuberosus 1), is a perennial herb, native to the Andes, with alternate heart-shaped leaves and axillary inflorescences. Its creeping, pink stems root where they touch the ground and produce slender rhizomes, which become swollen at their tips to form small underground tubers.
Use
The ullucu is an important food crop at high altitudes in the Andean region. The tubers are eaten like potatoes; the flesh is starchy and mucilaginous. The plant is frost resistant and the tubers can be dried and stored for a long time. Together with the oca (Oxalis tuberosa) (O. tuberosa 1), the potato (Solanum tuberosum) (S. tuberosum 1) and the ysaño (Tropaeolum tuberosum) (T. tuberosum 1), the ullucu is an important food crop for the Indians of the Andean highlands.