Potato systematics and germplasm collecting, 1989-2000

This paper reviews the systematics of wild potatoes over the past 11 years, in reference to the latest comprehensive taxonomic treatment by Hawkes (19 90. The potato: evolution, biodiversity and genetic resources. Belhaven Pre ss, Washington, D.C.). Included here is information on monographs and flora s, new germplasm collections made since 1988 compared to total potato distr ibutional data, new taxonomic changes (including synonymy and new species d escriptions), ingroup and outgroup relationships, intraspecific studies, di versity studies, and fingerprinting. In addition, data supporting taxonomic changes and phylogeny from ploidy levels, Endosperm Balance Numbers, and m orphological studies of taxonomically important characters are reviewed. A revised list of 206 species is presented (from 232 in Hawkes) that incorpor ates recent synonymy of names, recognition of new names, and new species de scriptions. New germplasm collections of 58 potato taxa were collected that did not occur in genebanks before 1988.