Throughout Latin America the word "camote" is almost exclusively applied to the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas: Convolvulaceae). A few other species are said to yield "camotes" in some localities (e.g., I. tyrian thina: Tehuacan, Mexico), but a clear distinction is usually made between these and the true "camote". Although this word has been widely adapted into the Spanish language, it is of Aztec (Nahuatl) origin (1, 7, 10). Much has been written about the origin of the sweet potato (1, 7, 13, 14 for recent reviews), yet the question remains essentially unsolved. Various areas have been postulated as the home of the species. While some authors have considered Africa and Melanasia as the original source (2, 4, 11), most biologists agree that the plant is from the New World (5, 6, 12,13, Martin, pers. comm., Jones, pers. comm.). A more exact location is not so well established. Sauer (9, 10), Yen (13) and others believe the species originated in South America, while Nishiyama and Teramura (6) have suggested a Mexican origin. Conclusions cannot yet be drawn as to where this hexaploid species was first cultivated, but the following observations support the conclusion that the plant did not evolve in Mexico. While studying the Convolvtulaceae in Mexico (late August and early September, 1972), I learned that the State of Puebla was famous for "camote" agriculture. I also discovered that the City of Puebla was renowned for a local candy called "camotes de Santa Clara". Mr. Hans Mattes, a restaurant owner in Cuernavaca, stated that the "camote de