RE: Availability of Inca Food Crops

Dear Ernie et.al.:
I do hope that before buying seed from international sources or other
states, that you seriously consider growing the plants yourselves first and
screen them for possible invasiveness using the protocols available through
UC Davis and/or the invasiveness model put out by, I think, an Australian
university.  I have to say that both the Oxalis and Tropaeolum genera made
my eyebrows raise.  But, perhaps you have already done this?

Karrie Reid

-----Original Message-----
From: medit-plants-request@ucdavis.edu
[m*@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf Of Ernie Wasson
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:06 PM
To: medit plants forum
Cc: sluggo@cruzio.com
Subject: Availability of Inca Food Crops

Dear Medit Plant folks,
I work at Cabrillo College in the horticulture department where we  
grow a wide variety of plants for our students to study and also to  
sell at our annual plant sale on Mother's Day Weekend. Last year close  
to 25% of our sales were food related ie., $18,000 of veggie starts  
and $7,000 of perennial edible crops such as fruit trees, citrus,  
strawberries, blueberries, etc. I recently downloaded the over 440  
page document on the  "Lost Crops of the Incas" off the internet. The  
variety of food crops they grew is amazing. We have Oca (Oxalis  
tuberosa) and Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) growing in our nursery and  
are looking for sources of any other Inca food crops including but  
limited to Bolivian Sunroot  also known as Yakon(Smallianthus  
sonchifolia syn. Polymnia soncifolia) and Achira (Canna edulis syn.  
Canna indica). Any leads on finding sources / starts for these plants  
would be greatly appreciated. I realize I can buy some of these crops  
via the internet for around $7 or more per plant but am looking for  
larger amounts at more reasonable prices so we can start growing  
several plants in our nursery. If you live in the Bay Area and have  
some extra to share or sell I could easily pick them up and/or divide/ 
dig them up under your supervision.
Thank you for your help.
The rains are finally here!
Ernie Wasson
Nursery & Garden Curator
Cabrillo College
Aptos, CA
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