Dioscorea glabra

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A yam. It keeps growing from year to year by sprouting from the tubers. The stem has thorns near the base. It twines to the right. The vine can be 8 m long. The tubers usually occur singly and are deep in the soil on a long stalk. They are 50 cm long by 4 cm wide. They have white flesh. The leaves are simple and can be opposite or alternate. The leaf stalk is 4-5 cm long. The leaf blade is a long heart shape. It can be 14 cm long by 16 cm wide with rounded ear shaped bases. The male flowers occur as 1-4 together and on branches 70 cm long. Female flower stalks occur singly or in pairs. They can be 40 cm long and with 50 flowers. (It is similar to Dioscorea nummularia).

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests and on mountain slopes and valley sides between 200-1,500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The root tubers are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They are boiled or roasted.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Tubers, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Eghen ngentak, Hakaingou, Hakaingoute, Kanta-alu, Koti-alu, Luntak, Mandei alu, Man-dong, Man-sai, Myauk-nwe, Nara tega, Panglang buk, Panglang lahara, Panja sanga, Onotong sanga, Tayo-nwe, Teetakorel, Tha borchuk, That

Synonyms

Dioscorea siamensis R. Knuth; and others