Jason E. Andersen

Bonus Fun Fact: The leaves and stems of the potato plant are poisonous and, as such, you should not eat them. No, I did not recently have potato poisoning but, this is something I didn’t know. It’s a good thing I never tried to garnish a salad with the leafy greens of a potato plant.

The Irish potato belongs to the genus Solanum, a group of plants commonly called the Nightshades. The vegetative parts of plants from this genus contain Solanine, a type of poison. While not immediately lethal, ingesting even small amounts will induce upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and (if you really get after it) hallucinations. Do not take this as a challenge.

Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: The genus Solanum also includes our friends the tomato and eggplant, both of which make equally poor salads.