Devil's bones, Rheumatism root, Colicroot
Dioscorea villosa

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A climbing yam plant. It can be 5 m tall. It keeps growing from year to year. It has slender rhizomes. They are twisted, long and woody. The leaves are simple. The stem has bulbils in the axils of leaves. The leaves are heart shaped and 5-10 cm long. The flowers are small and yellow-green. The are in drooping spikes in the axils of leaves. Male and female flowers are borne separately. The fruit is a capsule that in longer than wide. The seeds are winged at the base.

This yam is used for contraceptives. There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is best in rich, moist soils. It needs a protected sunny position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. In Assam is grows up to 1,600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Himalayas, India, North America (country/location of origin), Northeastern India, Turkey, Türkiye, USA

How it is used for food

The tubers are boiled then cut in pieces and washed in running water to remove the toxic element. The tubers are eaten whole or pounded into flour for bread.

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Root, tuber

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or by dividing the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Gam hakai, Kadawa kand, Kadia kand, Kath alu, Kedvo kand, Magiya, Mano kand, Munia, Thaphu-nairo, Vaj kand, Wild yam

Synonyms

Dioscorea cliffortiana Lam.; Dioscorea glauca Muhl. ex L. C. Beck; Dioscorea hexaphylla Raf.; Dioscorea hirticaulis Bartlett; Dioscorea lloydiana E. H. L. Krause; Dioscorea longifolia Raf.; Dioscorea megaptera Raf.; Dioscorea paniculata Michx.; Dioscorea paniculata var. glabrifolia Bartlett; Dioscorea pruinosa Kunth; Dioscorea quaternata J. F. Gmel.; Dioscorea quaternata Walter; Dioscorea quaternata var. glauca (Muhl. ex. L. C. Beck) Fernald; Dioscorea quinata Walter; Dioscorea repanda Raf. [Illegitimate]; Dioscorea sativa L.; Dioscorea villosa var. glabra J. Lloyd ex A. Gray; Dioscorea villosa var. - several; Dioscorea waltheri Desf.; Merione villosa (L.) Salisb.;