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So it does. The point being made is that you can mix general and specific references.

1.Generic reference, not general reference.
There are four possibilities of making a generic reference to objects: singular indefinite (A potato came to Europe from South America), singular definite (The potato came to Europe from South America), plural indefinite (Potatoes came to Europe from South America) , and plural definite (The Americans vote every four years for president. I couldn't come up with an example of forcing the plural potatoes into this role.) Which of those four would you call "general reference?"
Actually, what is general reference?

2. Re mixing reference types: The potato grows in soil, but there are some that don't. Like it?

That's great. You're able to make a point, and yet you don't seem to know what general reference means. It's almost the same as saying generic. In a nutshell, general reference means you are referring to a noun in a general way. The opposite of specific reference.

How does 'general reference' compare to 'generic reference', Engee?

I see you guys are still beating a dead horse, huh

Maybe this would help some to clear it up a bit:

Quote,

Specific and generic reference (5.26)

The distinctions between definite and indefinite, and between singular and plural, are important for specific reference. They tend to be less crucial for generic reference, because generic reference is used to denote the class or species generally. Consequently, the distinctions of number which apply to this or that member, or group of members, of the class are neutralized, being largely irrelevant to the generic concept. Singular or plural, definite or indefinite, can often be used without appreciable difference of meaning in generic contexts

unquote
Quirk et al.

they both refer to something that is not specific
obviously, generic relates to a class, whereas general to one or any of a class

one of a class?

e.g. I saw a potato yesterday?

that's 'a specific indefinite'

I meant one of a class that leaves out the specifics

ale jest termin 'specific indefinite', ktory dotyczy takich sytuacji jak w moim zdaniu

tak czy inaczej, spieramy sie teraz o terminologie. Ty mowisz general, my mowimy generic. Generic jest terminem lingweistycznym, general nie i chodzilo o uscislenie znaczenia.

zgadza sie, w koncu oba terminy sluza do generalizowania