Uli, The commonly seen plant you describe is Boussingaultia baselloides, a vigorous vine with an irregular tuberous rootstock. Ullucus tuberosus is a different plant in the same family Basellaceae and is a root crop in the Andes (like oca and potato). Also in this family is Basella itself and a few others. I've never seen Ullucus but it seems like it would make a good addition to any eclectic collection of geophytes or root crops. I believe the tubers can grow large and the foliage is also attractive. Time for a new introduction! Dylan Hannon Dylan Hannon Rare Bulbs On 01/12/2008, Uli Urban <johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de> wrote: > Dear James and Dear All, > > > Further to your question about Ullucus tuberosus, I think Ullucus is the > old name for Basella not in use anymore. Basella is a South American > tuberous climbing plant with thick succulent leaves and an enourmous > growth rate. It forms clumps of elongated tubers and on the aerial > climbing stems it also forms small aerial bulbils. It is frost tender so > makes an excellent screening plant without the risk of becoming a weed > in cold winter climates but in warm winter climates it can take over > large areas. > It is always found near human settlements in frost free climates like > the Canary Islands and from theres I once brought some bulbils. It > flowers with rather insignificant whitish flowers with a certain > fragrance but nothing spectacular. I have never tried to boil and eat > the tubers but I know it is a vegetable. I am sorry but I cannot help > out with propagation material as I stopped growing it because it grows > so fast and entwines with all its neighbours but it is in the commerce > under the current name of Basella. > > Hope this helped, Uli > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >