''Pachyrhizus'' is a small genus of five or six species of tropical and subtropical plants growing from large, often edible

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

Jícama

The jícama or yam bean (''P. erosus'') is a vine widely grown for its large (10–15 cm diameter and up to 20 kg weight), spherical or elongated taproot. After removal of the thick, fibrous brown skin, the white flesh of the root can be eaten cooked or raw. Crisp, moist, and slightly sweet, the flesh draws comparison with that of the

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

. The plant produces seeds that are comparable to

lima bean A lima bean (''Phaseolus lunatus''), also commonly known as the butter bean, sieva bean, double bean, Madagascar bean, or wax bean is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans. Origin and uses ''Phaseolus lunatus'' is found in Meso- and Sou ...

s, and that are sometimes eaten when young in places where the jicama is native. The mature seeds contain high levels of

rotenone Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, piscicide, and pesticide. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine plant, and the roots of several mem ...

, a chemical used as an insecticide and pesticide. The remainder of the jícama plant is very

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ous. Jícama comes from the New World; the name jícama is used in Central / South America. Today, pachyrhizus erosus is grown throughout Asia. In China, the root is known as cold potato; in Malaysia, sengkuang; in Indonesia, bengkoang; in the Philippines, singkamas; in Thailand, mankew. It is eaten raw and used in stir fried dishes.

''Pachyrhizus tuberosus''

''Goiteño'', ''nupe'', ''jacatupe'' or Amazonian yam bean ('' Pachyrhizus tuberosus'') is an annual vine that is characterized by a wrapped and herbaceous stem and a ligneous base. It has white and lilac flowers, pods from 10 to 20 cm in length and beans with a high protein content (32%). Each plant has two or more tubercles from 15 to 25 cm in length that are succulent, sweet and rich in starch and protein (9%). They are consumed both raw and cooked. The leaves (20 to 24% protein) and pods are also edible. This plant prospers in acid soils in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

's tropical rainforests. It is cultivated by the native peoples of the

Amazon Rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

Ahipa

The ''ahipa'', ''ajipa'', or Andean yam bean (''

Pachyrhizus ahipa ''Pachyrhizus ahipa'', also called the ahipa or Andean yam bean, is a tuberous root-producing legume, which is mainly distributed in the Andean region.Sørensen, M., Gruneberg, W. J., Ørting, B., 1997. Ahipa (''Pachyrhizus ahipa'' (Wedd.) Parodi ...

'') is very similar to the jicama and goitenyo in characteristics and uses. Unlike the jícama, it is not a vine and it grows up 2000 m above sea level in the highest

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

n mountains. The root is smaller and more elongated. It is little known outside of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, where it is mostly grown for personal or local consumption. In the 19th century, British scientists introduced ''ahipa'' to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, where it is also enjoyed by the residents of those islands. All three above ''Pachyrhizus'' species are popular cultivated varieties, mainly jicama or ''P. erosus'', which is common in the US as imported jicama, while another species, '' P. palmatilobus'', is less agreeable in taste.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1361402 Phaseoleae Root vegetables Fabaceae genera