Dioscorea mangenotiana
Family: Dioscoreaceae
What it is like
A yam. A vine with a very long vine. There are short spines on the stems. The tuber keeps developing from year to year. They develop new lobes around the sides. The vines can be 30 m long. They twine right-handed. The tubers are very large.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in forest and woodland.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, West Africa
How it is used for food
It is the recent growth that is eaten. The old main tuber is too woody. The tuber is cooked and eaten.
Edible parts
Tubers, root
How it is grown
Plants will not grow easily from smaller sections of the tuber.
A tuber can weigh 60 kg.
Its other names
Local names
Ba, Ba'a, Egeu, Esusu, Inhame, Suiduo, Toba, Tumba