Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Giant potato (Ipomoea mauritiana), of the Convolvulaceae family. Large twining climber with heart-shaped leaves and rose-purple funnel flowers, from a massive milky tuber; native range: warm lowland scrub and forest edges across the tropics of Asia and Africa. Globally recognized as kshiravidari in Sanskrit, bhui kumhra, vidarikand in Hindi, and giant potato, milky yam in English. The part used is tuber. Heavy white starchy tuber, sweet and unctuous with an abundant milky juice, cooling and building on the palate.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
GIANT POTATO
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- giant potato
- Scientific name
- Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq.
- Family
- Convolvulaceae
Form
- Part used
- tuber
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- sweet (madhura)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (shita virya)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- nourishing and rejuvenative, aphrodisiac (vrishya), promotes breast-milk (stanya), builds flesh and strength, cools and soothes, mildly diuretic
Cautions
- Contraindications
- heavy and building; use cautiously in weak digestion, high kapha and obesity
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