Mirabilis expansa (mauka or chago) is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family, Nyctaginaceae. Its roots can reach the size of a man's forearm and the plant can grow 1 metre (3+1⁄2 feet) tall. It is cultivated as a root vegetable in the Andes, at cold, windy altitudes, but has otherwise received little commercial interest.
Description
Mirabilis expansa is in the Nyctaginaceae family. The mature storage roots can reach the length and diameter of a human forearm. The stems underground are a salmon-pink colour and are smooth and fleshy. They are up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. It is a known perennial plant because of the edible part of the collar swells. It can grow up to
The inflorescences are on long slender branches that range from three to six centimeters in length. These branches are covered with hairs that are constantly trapping small insects. Flower colour is different depending on the geographical location. In Bolivia, the flowers are purple, and in Ecuador, they are purple and white.
Distribution and habitat
Mirabilis expansa was a very important crop to the Inca Empire and was considered lost. The modern cultivation of mauka was first described in a rural community in Bolivia in the 1960s. Fifteen years later it was found in Ecuador and Peru and has seen the largest area of production in those countries. It has been proposed that the reason mauka has survived in three separate locations is because the Incas had a policy of transplanting valuable crops to communities throughout the empire.
It is cultivated as a root vegetable in the Andes, considered one of the most important regions for crop development and diversification. It thrives at cold, windy altitudes between 2,200 m (7,200 ft) and 3,500 m (11,500 ft). Otherwise, it is only grown in small vegetable gardens. The above-ground portion dies back with frost, but the root is quite hardy.
Cultivation
Mauka can reproduce with seeds or can propagate...
