Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant in the Convolvulaceae family, which also includes bindweed and morning glory. The root vegetable is made up of big, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots. Young shoots and leaves are occasionally consumed as greens. Both the sweet potato and the common potato (Solanum tuberosum) are members of the Solanales family. Although dark sweet potatoes are sometimes referred to as "yams" in regions of North America, they are not related to actual yams. Sweet potato cultivars have been bred to produce tubers with a variety of colored flesh and skin.