Solanum tuberosum

Solanum tuberosum is toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The reported severity is moderate. Also known as Potato.

dogs cats horses

Mild Moderate Severe Critical

If your animal ate this plant, call your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Fees may apply.

Symptoms to watch for

Drooling Loss Of Appetite Abdominal Pain Diarrhea Drowsiness CNS Depression Disorientation Weakness Dilated Pupils Slow Heart Rate

The color of each symptom follows the severity scale above.

About

The potato is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.

How this plant poisons

Raw potatoes contain toxic glycoalkaloids, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Solanine is found in other plants in the same family, Solanaceae, which includes such plants as deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), as well as food plants like tomato. These compounds, which protect the potato plant from its predators, are especially concentrated in the aerial parts of the plant. The tubers are low in these toxins, unless they are exposed to light, which makes them go green. Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase glycoalkaloid content within the tuber. Different potato varieties contain different levels of glycoalkaloids. The 'Lenape' variety, released in 1967, was withdrawn in 1970 as it contained high levels of glycoalkaloids. Since then, breeders of new varieties test for this, sometimes discarding an otherwise promising cultivar. Breeders try to keep glycoalkaloid levels below 200 mg/kg (0.0032 oz/lb). However, when these commercial varieties turn green, their solanine concentrations can go well above this limit, with higher levels in the potato's skin.

Common Names

  • Potato

Also recorded as Irish Potato.

Facts

Family
Solanaceae
Duration
Perennial
Growth habit
Forb/herb, Subshrub
Native to
Ecuador
In the wild
GB, PE, DE, NL, AF, PL + more
Source
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Elsewhere

Countries with the most wild observations, from GBIF data.