Fruits and Vegetables
with POI’s
by Brandi Davis
Potato
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Today potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the USA and in about 125 countries
throughout the world.
2) The sweet potato belongs in the same family as morning glories while the white
potato belongs to the same group as tomatoes, tobacco, chile pepper, eggplant and
the petunia.
3) The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids.
4)
An 8 ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories.
5)
The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans
eat about twice as much.
8) Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing "french fries" to America when he
served them at a White House dinner.
9) According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest potato grown was 7
pounds 1 ounce.
10) Potatoes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order
Polemoniales, family Solanaceae.
Onion
• The onion is part of the lily family.
• Member of Alliaceae which includes Garlic, Leek, Chives, Scallions,
Shallots.
• Have been important part of history, has been cultivated for at least
7,000 yrs.
• Egyptians believed onions had strength-producing powers,
therefore, they were fed to labors who built the pyramids.
• The Romans ate onions to gain strength and courage.
• The name onion stems from the Latin word unus meaning oneness
or unity.
• Alexander the Great ordered his troops to eat onions to improve
their vitality.
• Onion is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida,
order Liliales, family Liliaceae.
Cucumber
• The inner temperature of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees
cooler than the outside air!
• Cucumbers were believed to have originated in India and spread
through Greece and Italy.
• They made their way into North America agriculture by the mid-16
century.
• "Cukes" belong to the same family as pumpkins, zucchini,
watermelon and other squashes.
• Cucumbers are fruits because they contain the seeds to reproduce
• Cucumbers are 95% water
• Cucumber is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Violales, family Curcurbitaceae.
Apple
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The apple variety ‘Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States.
The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black
Sea.
Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.
Apples are a member of the rose family.
Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42
pounds each.
25 percent of an apple's volume is air. That is why they float.
Apples have five seed pockets or carpels. Each pocket contains seeds. The
number of seeds per carpel is determined by the vigor and health of the
plant. Different varieties of apples will have different number of seeds.
World's top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and
Italy.
Apples are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida,
order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Apricot
• In Latin, apricot means "precious," a label earned because it ripens
earlier than other summer fruits.
• A relative of the peach, the apricot is smaller and has a smooth, oval
pit that falls out easily when the fruit is halved.
• Apricots originally came from China.
• This golden fruit has been around for more than 4,000 years.
• The first recorded major production of apricots in America was in
1792 south of San Francisco.
• California is the leading producer in the United States. It is also a
significant crop in British Columbia (Canada), Australia, Italy, the
south of France, Turkey, and Israel.
• Apricots are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Asparagus
• Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.
• Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted
about a foot deep in sandy soils.
• Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow
10" in a 24-hour period.
• An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the
first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the
crown to develop a strong fibrous root system.
• A well cared for asparagus planting will generally
produce for about 15 years without being replanted.
• Asparagus is classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Liliopsida, order Liliales, family Liliaceae.
Avocado
• Avocados are a fruit
• Latin Americans wrap avocados up and give them as
wedding gifts.
• The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of
its pear-like shape and green skin.
• Avocado is a corruption of the Spanish word aguacate,
which is in turn a corruption of the Aztec word ahuacatl.
• California produces about 90% of the nation's avocado
crop.
• The avocado tree belongs to the family Lauraceae. It is
classified as Persea americana.
Banana
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Bananas are America's #1 fruit.
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The average American consumes over 28 pounds of bananas each year.
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There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants.
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Bananas are not grown commercially in the continental United States. They
are grown in Latin and South America from countries like Costa Rica,
Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala.
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Bananas are available all year-round. They are harvested every day of the
year.
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Bananas are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order
Zingiberales, family Musaceae.
Cauliflower
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Cauliflower is a vegetable.
Cauliflower, as its name implies, is a flower growing from a plant.
In its early stages, it resembles broccoli, which is its closest relative.
The heavy green leaves that surround the head protect the flower
buds from the sunlight.
• It is also a cruciferous vegetable being studied for its role in reducing
cancer risk.
• Mark Twain said “Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college
education.”
• Cauliflower is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family Cruciferae.
Blueberry
• Blueberries are a fruit
• Early American colonists made grey paint by boiling blueberries in
milk.
• Blueberries have been commercially cultivated only since the early
20th century, when the USDA helped develop new improved
varieties.
• The blueberry is the second most popular berry in the U.S.
• Over 200 million pounds of blueberries are grown commercially
each year.
• The blueberry muffin is the official muffin of Minnesota.
• The blueberry is the official berry of Nova Scotia.
• The blueberry is the official state fruit of New Jersey
• Blueberries are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Ericales, family Ericaceae.
Blackberry
• Blackberries are a fruit.
• Blackberries are red and hard when they are immature and turn
black and shiny when they ripen.
• Most commercial cultivation is limited to the United States.
• There are literally thousands of varieties of blackberries, including
an albino 'white blackberry,' and the dewberry, which bears a smaller
fruit.
• Blackberries can be easily confused with raspberries, but
raspberries (including black raspberries) have a hollow center.
• The blackberry is an aggregate fruit that is composed of many
smaller fruits called drupes.
• The blackberry’s scientific name is Rubus ursinus
Cranberry
• Cranberry is a fruit
• Cranberries are almost 90% water.
• Good, ripe cranberries will bounce. Bounceberry is another name for
them.
• Native Americans pounded cranberries into a paste and mixed with
dried meat, and called this mixture 'pemmican.'
• Most of the world’s cranberries are cultivated in just five states:
Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington.
• There are several theories as to the origin of the name 'cranberry.'
One is that the open flowers look like the head of a crane; another is
that cranes like to these sour berries.
• Cranberry is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Ericales, family Ericaceae.
Raspberry
• Raspberry is a fruit.
• Raspberries come in many colors besides red: there are
also black, purple and gold raspberries.
• Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Raspberries are have a hollow core that remains on the
plant when you pick the raspberry.
• Martin Van Buren, while campaigning for the presidency
in 1840, was said by his opponents to "wallow in
raspberries", a shocking extravagance.
• Raspberry is a member of the rose family.
• Raspberry’s scientific name is Rubus idaeus
Strawberry
• The strawberry you eat is not really a fruit or a berry but is the
enlarged receptacle of the flower. The average strawberry has about
200 seeds.
• Strawberries were once avoided by pregnant women because it was
believed that their children would be born with strawberry birth
marks.
• The U.S. is the leading producer of strawberries, and California is
the highest producing state.
• Strawberries are grown in every state in the U.S. and every province
in Canada.
• Strawberries were cultivated in ancient Rome and were used as a
medicinal herb in the 13th Century.
• Strawberries are a member of the Rose family.
• Strawberries are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Broccoli
• Broccoli is a vegetable.
• Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and a close relative of
cauliflower.
• Broccoli is available year round, but it grows better in cool weather,
so it can be in short supply in July and August.
• Broccoli was developed some 2,500 years ago on the island of
Cyprus.
• Ninety percent of the fresh broccoli sold in the U.S. is grown in the
Salinas Valley in California.
• Broccoli was created by crossing cauliflower seeds with pea seeds.
• Broccoli is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family Cruciferae.
Brussels Sprout
• Brussels Sprouts are a vegetable.
• Brussels Sprouts were named after the capital of
Belgium where it is thought that they were first cultivated.
• Brussels Sprouts are also one of the few vegetables to
have originated in northern Europe.
• Brussels sprouts look like miniature heads of cabbage.
• Most Brussels sprouts are grown in California.
• Brussels sprouts and cabbage are members of the
cruciferous vegetable family.
• Brussels sprouts are classified in the division
Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales,
family Cruciferae.
Cabbage
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Cabbage is a vegetable.
Cabbage is grown best in cool, moist climates.
Cabbage is one of the oldest vegetables.
There are more than a hundred varieties of cabbage
grown throughout the world.
• Cato said “The cabbage surpasses all other vegetables.”
• Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable.
• Cabbages are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family
Cruciferae.
Carrot
• Carrot is a vegetable.
• Carrots were first cultivated in Afghanistan in the 7th century,
and they started with yellow flesh and a purple exterior.
• The Dutch developed the orange carrot.
• The carrot was brought to by colonists to the New World,
where it escaped into the wild and became Queen Anne's
Lace.
• The orange carrot is called “carotene” because of the betacarotene it produces.
• Carrots are members of the parsley family, characterized by
feathery green leaves.
• Carrots are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Umbellales, family Umbelliferae.
Celery
• Celery is a vegetable.
• Celery is native to the Mediterranean and the Middle
East, and was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans
as a flavoring.
• The ancient Chinese used celery as a medicinal.
• The celery that we all buy in the local supermarket is
Pascal variety, first cultivated in 1874 in Michigan.
• It takes more calories to eat and digest celery than there
is in the celery.
• The wild form of celery is known as smallage.
• Celery is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Umbellales, family Umbelliferae.
Cherry
• The cherry is one of the most commonly grown homeorchard fruits.
• Sour cherries are hardier and more easily grown than
sweet cherries and are mostly self-fertile, while many
sweet cherries must be cross-pollinated to bear well.
• Roman General Lucullus is said to have committed
suicide when he realized he was running out of cherries.
• Cherries are drupes, or stone fruits, related to plums and
more distantly to peaches and nectarines.
• The cherry is the state fruit of Utah.
• Europe is the largest producing area of cherries.
• Cherries are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Orange
• The orange is technically a hesperidum, a type of berry.
• In Queen Victoria's day, oranges were given as
Christmas gifts in England.
• Columbus brought the orange to the West Indies.
• Flowers and fruits in all stages of development are on
the tree throughout the year, although a large portion of
the fruits ripen at one time.
• Brazil produces more oranges than any other country.
• Most oranges are consumed fresh or made into juice.
• Orange is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Grapefruit
• Grapefruit is a citrus fruit
• Grapefruit originated sometime in the late 18th-century in
the Caribbean.
• Florida produces 1/3 of the world’s grapefruit.
• Grapefruit got its name from the way it grows in clusters
(like grapes) on the tree.
• The Texas Red Grapefruit is the state fruit of Texas.
• Grapefruit juice can have a major effect on the potency
of various medications, and can even cause an overdose
when taking prescribed doses.
• Grapefruits are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Lemon
• Lemons are a citrus fruit.
• There are two different types of lemons — acid and
sweet.
• Lemons are believed to have originated in Southeast
Asia, and spread to Spain and North Africa during the
Middle Ages.
• The cultivated variety is thought to be a hybrid of wild
species of lime and citron.
• Third century Romans believed that the lemon was an
antidote for all poisons.
• Lemons contain 30 to 45 percent juice.
• Lemon is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Lime
• Limes are a citrus fruit.
• Limes are native to Southeast Asia, and probably
originated in Indonesia or Malaysia.
• The lime is the most susceptible to frost injury of all
citrus fruits, but some varieties do well in sandy or rocky
soils usually unfavorable to citrus.
• Limes grow on small shrublike trees.
• Limes are the most acidic of the citrus fruits.
• The lime is a natural hybrid of the citron and papeda.
• Limes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Coconut
• Coconut is a fruit.
• Coconut juice or coconut water is the liquid inside a coconut.
• The coconut grows on the coco palm, which is one of the most
useful trees in existence, every part of it having some value.
• Coconut oil was the world's leading vegetable oil until soybean oil
took over in the 1960s.
• There are more than 20 billion coconuts produced each year
• The seed of the coconut is peculiarly adapted to dispersal by water
because the large pod holding the nut is buoyant and impervious to
moisture.
• Coconuts are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Liliopsida, order Arecales, family Palmae.
Corn
• Corn is a vegetable.
• The grain of corn grown in the United States is
Indian corn or maize.
• Corn always has an even number of rows on
each ear.
• The U.S. produces 40% of the world corn crop.
• Corn is not only an important food for man, more
than 50% of U.S. production is used for livestock
feed.
• Corn is used in the production of alcohol.
• Corn’s scientific name is Zea mays
Eggplant
• Eggplant is a vegetable.
• Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and is native to India.
• Eggplants are native to India, and India and the Far East are still its
largest consumers.
• Eggplant is related to potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.
• Thomas Jefferson, who experimented with many varieties of plants
in his Virginia garden, is credited with introducing eggplant to North
America.
• The name eggplant was originally applied to a white skinned variety.
• Eggplants are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Polemoniales, family Solanaceae.
Fig
• The fig is a flower inverted into itself.
• Figs are in the mulberry family.
• The fig was used by the ancient Egyptians as long as
6,000 years ago.
• Figs are the sweetest of all fruits.
• Figs were a favorite of Cleopatra.
• Originally native from Turkey to northern India, the fig
fruit spread to many of the Mediterranean countries.
• The primary producers of dried figs today are the United
States, Turkey, Greece, and Spain.
• Figs are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Urticales, family Moraceae.
Grape
• Grape is a berry.
• The grape is one of the oldest fruits to be cultivated
going back as far as biblical times
• Spanish explorers introduced the fruit to America
approximately 300 years ago.
• Grape growing is the largest food industry in the world.
• There are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of
grapes, and they can all be used to make juice and/or
wine.
• Grapes make up the most valuable fruit crop in the
United States.
• Grapes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Rhamnales, family Vitaceae.
Kiwifruit
• Like the name implies, kiwis are fruit.
• There are more than 400 different varieties
of kiwi fruit in China where they have been
used for over 700 years.
• Kiwifruit vines are trained to grow on a
trellis, and vines can be as high as 15 feet.
Lettuce
• Lettuce is a vegetable.
• The ancient Greeks believed that lettuce induced sleep, so they
served it at the end of the meal.
• The lettuce that we see today, actually started out as a weed around
the Mediterranean basin.
• Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the new world and from
there, lettuce in the United States began cultivating.
• Iceberg lettuce got it's name from the fact that California growers
started shipped it covered with heaps of crushed ice in the 1920s. It
had previously been called Crisphead lettuce.
• Lettuce (of all types) is the second most popular fresh vegetable in
the United States behind #1 potatoes.
• Lettuce is a vegetable that is pretty much immune to any form of
preservation. You can't freeze it, can it, dry it, or pickle it.
• Lettuce is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Asterales, family Asteraceae.
Mango
• Mango are a fruit.
• Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall.
• Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce
a good crop.
• Today there more than 1,000 different varieties of
mangos throughout the world.
• Mangos have been cultivated in India for about 6,000
years.
• More fresh mangos are eaten every day than any other
fruit in the world.
• Mangoes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family
Anacardiaceae.
Cantaloupe
• The cantaloupe is a melon, a type of fruit.
• What we call 'cantaloupe' in the U.S., is actually a muskmelon.
• Ancient Egyptians and Romans enjoyed cantaloupes or
muskmelons.
• Melon seeds were transported to the United States by Columbus
and eventually cultivated by Spanish explorers in California.
• Melons are in the same gourd family as squashes and cucumbers.
• The cantaloupe was supposedly named for Cantalou, a former
Papal garden near Rome, where the variety was developed.
• Cantaloupe is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Violales, family Curcurbitaceae.
Watermelon
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Watermelon are a melon, a type of fruit.
The watermelon are a plant of the gourd family.
Watermelons are native to southern Africa.
The watermelon introduced to America by Africans
transported as slaves.
• The first recorded watermelon harvest took place 5,000
years ago in Egypt.
• In 1939 seedless watermelon was developed by treating
the unpollinated flowers of watermelons with a specific
acid.
• Watermelons are classified in the division
Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Violales,
family Curcurbitaceae.
Mushroom
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Mushroom is a basidium fungus.
There are close to 40,000 varieties of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are grown from microscopic spores.
The use of edible mushrooms for food dates back at
least to early Roman times
• There are many poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom
poisoning can lead to symptoms of sweating, cramps,
diarrhea, confusion, convulsions, and potentially result in
liver damage, or even death.
• Roman emperors Tiberius and Claudius both died of
mushroom poisoning.
• Mushrooms are classified in the kingdom Fungi, phylum
(division) Basidiomycota.
Nectarine
• A nectarine is a fruit.
• A nectarine is a fuzzless variety of peach, in the rose family.
• Nectarines, like peaches, probably originated in China over 2,000
years ago and were cultivated in ancient Persia, Greece and Rome
• Nectarines were grown in Great Britain in the late 16th or early 17th
centuries, and were introduced to America by the Spanish.
• The word 'nectarine' means sweet as nectar, and this is very likely
the obvious origin of the name.
• Peach seeds may occasionally grow into trees that bear nectarines,
and nectarine seeds may grow into trees that bear either nectarines
or peaches. It is not possible to know which fruit will grow on trees
grown from nectarine seeds.
• Nectarines are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Olive
• Olive is a fruit.
• Olives can be green or black (ripe).
• Olives are not edible, green or ripe, and must be treated
with lye and/or cured in brine or dry salt before being
edible.
• Olive trees may live to be 1500 years old, the average
life span is about 500 years.
• Most of the olive trees are used to make olive oil.
• California is the only state where olives are grown
commercially.
• Olives are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Scrophulariales, family Oleaceae.
Papaya
• The papaya is a melon-like fruit.
• Papayas are from tropical America.
• There are two types of papayas, the Hawaiian and
Mexican.
• Papaya juice has been used for centuries in South
America to tenderize meat.
• The papaya tree can grow from seed to a 20 foot, fruit
bearing tree in less than 18 months.
• The fruit can range in size from 1 to 20 pounds.
• The papaya is classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Violales, family Caricaceae.
Peach
• Peach is a fruit.
• Peach is a member of the rose family.
• The peach was first cultivated in China and revered as a symbol of
longevity.
• In the early 1600s Spanish explorers brought it to the New World
and by the 1700s missionaries had established peaches in
California.
• The peach is the state fruit of Georgia and South Carolina. It is also
the state flower of Delaware.
• Cling or clingstone peaches have a pit to which the flesh 'clings';
freestone peaches have a pit from which the flesh is easily pulled
away.
• Peaches are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Pear
• The pear is a fruit from the rose family.
• There are more than 5,000 varieties of pears, not all of
them are pear-shaped.
• Pears have been cultivated since before 2000 B.C.
• The leading pear producers, in order are Italy, China and
the United States.
• Pears are now grown in almost all temperate regions of
the world.
• Pear trees can produce fruit for up to 100 years.
• Pears are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Plum
• Plum is a fruit, a member of the rose family.
• Plum trees are grown on every continent except
Antarctica.
• Alexander the Great is said to have introduced the plum
into Greece from Syria or Persia, where the damson
plum had long been grown.
• Most of the cultivated plums in the United States are
derived from European and Japanese varieties
• The plum is a drupe—a pitted fruit—related to the
nectarine, peach, and apricot.
• The skin of the plum stimulates bowel movements.
• Plums are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
Pineapple
• Pineapples can weigh up to 20 pounds.
• Pineapples are thought to have originated in Brazil.
• There are no known native or wild pineapples known
today.
• The pineapple is grown throughout warm regions.
• More than one-third of the world's commercial supply of
pineapples comes from Hawaii.
• A compound derived from pineapple, branelain, is used
as an anti-inflammatory.
• The pineapple family is classified in the division
Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Bromeliales.
Prune
• Prune is a fruit.
• A prune is a dried plum.
• More than 70% of the world's prunes are
produced in California.
• A type of prune was used by Native
Americans as a staple item of diet.
Pumpkin
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A pumpkin is a fruit, a type of gourd.
The pumpkin is closely related to the squash.
99% of all pumpkins are sold for decorations.
Illinois leads the nation in pumpkin production.
Championship pumpkins today are over 800 pounds.
These pumpkins grow 10 to 15 pounds per day!
• Pumpkin halves were supposedly used as guides for
haircuts in colonial New Haven, Connecticut, giving rise
to the nickname 'pumpkinhead.'
• Pumpkins are classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Violales, family
Cucurbitaceae.
Radish
• Radish is the root of a herbaceous plant.
• Radishes are normally consumed in salad.
• Radishes are root vegetables that resemble beets or turnips in
appearance and texture, but have a distinct flavor.
• The ancient Egyptians used radish seed oil before olive oil was
known.
• Radishes were first cultivated thousands of years ago in China, then
in Egypt and Greece.
• Radishes were so highly regarded in Greece that gold replicas were
made.
• Radishes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family Cruciferae.
Spinach
• Spinach originally came from Persia (now Iran) where it was known
as "aspanakh".
• Spinach was introduced to Europe in the 15th century.
• Spinach was the first frozen vegetable to be sold.
• In recent times, it has been popularized by the cartoon character
"Popeye", who attributes his amazing strength to a daily diet of the
green leafy vegetable.
• Spinach was used by medieval artists to produce a green pigment
for illuminated manuscripts.
• Spinach contains a chemical called oxalic acid, which binds with iron
and calcium and reduces the absorption of these minerals.
• Spinach plants bare classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Caryophyllales.
Sweetpotato
• The sweet potato is the 6th principal world food crop.
• The sweet potato was cultivated by the Aztecs.
• Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when
Columbus arrived in 1492.
• 90 percent of the worlds' crop is grown in Asia.
• Sweet potatoes are grown in the southern portion of the
United States.
• George Washington Carver worked extensively with the
sweet potato. He developed 118 different products from
sweet potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes are classified in the division
Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Solanales,
family Convolvulaceae.
Tomato
• The tomato is a fruit.
• The tomato is related to the eggplant and potato.
• The first tomato plants were planted in Greece by a Friar
Francis in 1818.
• All parts of the tomato plants except the fruit are toxic.
• The tomato is one of the newest plants to be used on a
large scale for human food.
• China is the largest producer of tomatoes in the world,
producing over 16% of all tomatoes.
• The tomato is classified in the division Magnoliophyta,
class Magnoliopsida, order Solanales, family
Solanaceae.