| Potato 'Red Pontiac' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genus | Solanum |
| Species | Solanum tuberosum |
| Hybrid parentage | 'Pontiac' × unknown |
| Cultivar | 'Red Pontiac' |
| Origin | Florida, USA |
The Red Pontiac (also known as Dakota Chief) is a red-skinned early main crop potato variety originally bred in the United States, [1] and is sold in the United States, Canada, Australia, Marruecos, the Philippines, Venezuela and Uruguay. It arose as a color mutant of the original Pontiac variety in Florida [2] by a J.W. Weston in 1945. [3] It was registered by the USDA in 1983. [3] The original Pontiac itself was a hybrid of varieties "Triumph" and "Katahdin" and released in the US in 1938 and Australia in 1940. [4]
Contents
The plants are large and spreading with angled stems and large light purple flowers. The potatoes are deep-eyed and round with dark red skin and white waxy flesh, [5] though can be knobbly if soil moisture is uneven. [3] The skin colour can fade significantly, leaving only the eyes as red. [4]
