Chinese yam, Chinese potato, Cinnamon vine
Dioscorea polystachya

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A yam. The stem is angled, twines to the right and is often purple. The tubers can be 90 cm long. There can be bulbils along the vine. The leaves are alternate lower on the stem and opposite higher up. The leaves are oval and heart shaped at their base. The leaf stalks are shorter than Potato yam. The leaves are simple and the leaf stalk is 2-3 cm long. The leaves can be triangular or with 3 lobes. The flowers are white and smell like cinnamon. The tubers are vertical and like a cylinder and up to 1m long. The flowers smell of cinnamon.

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

A temperate or subtropical plant. It grows in forest and is cultivated from 100 - 2500 m in central and north China. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Japan, Korea, North America, Pacific, Slovenia, South America, Taiwan, USA

How it is used for food

The tubers are fried, baked, boiled, and also sliced and grated and added to other dishes.

An important food plant. It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Tuber, root, vegetable, bulbil

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ch'amma, Igname de Chine, Kitajski krompir, Na ba, Naga imo, Shan yao, Shanyao, Shu yu, Tsukune-imo, Yama imo

Synonyms

Dioscorea batatas Decaisne; Dioscorea decaisneana Carrière; Dioscorea doryphora Hance; Dioscorea potaninii Prain & Burkill; Dioscorea rosthornii Diels; Dioscorea swinhoei Rolfe;