紅薯（學名：Ipomoea batatas），又名番薯、甘薯、山芋、地瓜、紅苕、線苕、白薯、金薯、甜薯、朱薯、枕薯等。常見的多年生雙子葉植物，草本，其蔓細長，莖匍匐地面。塊根，無氧呼吸產生乳酸，皮色發白或發紅，肉大多為黃白色，但也有紫色，除供食用外，還可以制糖和釀酒、制酒精。

形態特征

紅(hong)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)，又稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)甘(gan)紅(hong)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、番(fan)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、甘(gan)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、山(shan)芋(yu)(yu)、地(di)(di)瓜(gua)、紅(hong)苕(tiao)、線苕(tiao)、白薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、金薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、甜薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、朱薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、枕薯(shu)(shu)(shu)、紅(hong)苕(tiao)等，旋(xuan)花科一年(nian)生植物。不(bu)同(tong)地(di)(di)區(qu)人(ren)(ren)(ren)們對(dui)它(ta)(ta)(ta)的(de)(de)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)呼也(ye)(ye)不(bu)同(tong)，河(he)南人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)紅(hong)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)，上海人(ren)(ren)(ren)和(he)天津人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)山(shan)芋(yu)(yu)，山(shan)東人(ren)(ren)(ren)和(he)東北(bei)(bei)人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)為(wei)(wei)地(di)(di)瓜(gua)，江(jiang)(jiang)蘇南部稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)為(wei)(wei)山(shan)芋(yu)(yu)（其(qi)他地(di)(di)區(qu)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)紅(hong)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)）而徐(xu)州(zhou)地(di)(di)區(qu)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)為(wei)(wei)白芋(yu)(yu)，陜西(xi)、湖(hu)北(bei)(bei)、四川和(he)貴州(zhou)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)紅(hong)苕(tiao)，北(bei)(bei)京人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)白薯(shu)(shu)(shu)，江(jiang)(jiang)西(xi)人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)番(fan)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)，福建人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)紅(hong)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)或(huo)番(fan)薯(shu)(shu)(shu)，河(he)北(bei)(bei)人(ren)(ren)(ren)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)山(shan)藥或(huo)者(zhe)紅(hong)山(shan)藥。同(tong)一地(di)(di)區(qu)不(bu)同(tong)區(qu)域人(ren)(ren)(ren)們對(dui)它(ta)(ta)(ta)的(de)(de)稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)呼也(ye)(ye)不(bu)盡相同(tong)，比如(ru)山(shan)東大(da)部分(fen)地(di)(di)區(qu)雖稱(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)其(qi)為(wei)(wei)地(di)(di)瓜(gua)，但魯南棗莊、濟(ji)寧附(fu)近的(de)(de)當地(di)(di)人(ren)(ren)(ren)又習(xi)慣把(ba)它(ta)(ta)(ta)叫(jiao)作“芋(yu)(yu)頭”，而真正的(de)(de)芋(yu)(yu)頭則被叫(jiao)作“毛(mao)芋(yu)(yu)頭”。

旋花科一年生植物。蔓生草本，長2米以上(shang)，平臥地(di)面(mian)斜上(shang)。具地(di)下塊根，塊根紡錘形，外皮土黃色或(huo)紫(zi)紅色。葉(xie)互生，寬卵形，3-5掌(zhang)裂(lie)。聚傘(san)花(hua)(hua)序(xu)腋生，花(hua)(hua)苞片(pian)小，鉆(zhan)形，萼片(pian)長圓形，不等長，花(hua)(hua)冠鐘狀，漏斗形，白色至紫(zi)紅色。蒴果卵形或(huo)扁圓形，種子1-4。塊根為淀(dian)粉原料，可食用、釀酒或(huo)作飼料。全國廣(guang)為栽培。

栽種歷史

野生種起源于美洲的熱帶地區，由印第安人人工種植成功，抗病蟲害強，栽培容易。哥倫布初見西班牙女王時，曾將由新大陸帶回的甘薯獻給女王，西班牙水手又將甘薯傳至菲律賓。在明朝萬歷十年（1582年(nian)(nian)），從(cong)當時(shi)的(de)西班牙殖(zhi)民地呂(lv)宋（今菲律賓）引進中(zhong)國，由東莞市虎門北柵人(ren)(ren)陳益從(cong)安南首(shou)先引入廣東。萬歷(li)二十一年(nian)(nian)（1593年(nian)(nian)）五(wu)月(yue)，福建長樂(le)人(ren)(ren)陳振龍又從(cong)呂(lv)宋攜帶回(hui)中(zhong)國，試種后，“甫及四(si)月(yue)，啟(qi)土開掘，子母鉤連，大(da)(da)者如(ru)臂(bei)，小者如(ru)拳”，福建巡撫(fu)金學(xue)曾大(da)(da)力(li)推廣，并撰《海(hai)外(wai)新傳(chuan)七則(ze)》。《農政全書》詳細記述(shu)了(le)番(fan)薯(shu)的(de)種植方式，李時(shi)珍《本草綱目》載：“南人(ren)(ren)用當米谷果餐，蒸(zheng)炙皆香(xiang)美……，海(hai)中(zhong)之(zhi)人(ren)(ren)多壽，亦由不(bu)食(shi)五(wu)谷而食(shi)甘薯(shu)故(gu)也。中(zhong)醫學(xue)認為甘薯(shu)補虛乏、益氣力(li)、健脾(pi)胃、強腎(shen)陰(yin)。目前，世界各地都有廣泛栽種。