Dioscorea cotinifolia
Family: Dioscoreaceae
What it is like
A yam. It has several tubers. They are oval or pear shaped. They can be 5 cm long. The stems twine to the left. The stems are wiry. They do not have prickles. The leaves are usually opposite. The leaf blades are oval and entire and relatively small. They are papery and thick. Female flowers occur singly or in pairs and male flowers are simple or compound. The fruit is a capsule 2-3 cm long by 1.5-2.5 cm wide.
Where it is found
A subtropical plant. It grows in open forest and near the edges of forest often in rocky places. In South Africa it grows between sea level and 1,800 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland
How it is used for food
The pulp of the tuber is eaten cooked.
It is a famine food.
Edible parts
Tubers, root, caution
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Ingwevu, Lunyawo lwendlovu, Mamachi, Sikhundla, Umkhankha, Umkhanya