Dioscorea

Dioscorea is a genus of over 600 species of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates. It is named after the ancient Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides.

Description[edit | edit source]

The plants are herbaceous vines, growing from tubers. They can grow up to 6 meters (20 ft) tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, heart-shaped or lanceolate. The flowers are individually inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, with six petals; male and female flowers are produced on separate plants (dioecious).

Uses[edit | edit source]

The best-known species is the yam (D. rotundata), an important food crop in Africa. Several other species are grown for their large edible tubers in Africa and Asia. Others are used for their medicinal value.

Species[edit | edit source]

There are over 600 species of Dioscorea. Some of the more notable species include:

Dioscorea alata, the purple yam
Dioscorea bulbifera, the air potato
Dioscorea cayenensis, yellow Guinea yam
Dioscorea dumetorum, bitter yam
Dioscorea esculenta, lesser yam
Dioscorea hispida, intoxicating yam
Dioscorea japonica, East Asian yam
Dioscorea mexicana, Mexican yam
Dioscorea opposita, Chinese yam
Dioscorea polystachya, Chinese yam
Dioscorea rotundata, white yam
Dioscorea trifida, cush-cush yam
Dioscorea villosa, wild yam

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Dioscoreaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.

Dioscorea Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.