Dioscorea pubera

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A yam. It keeps growing from year to year by sprouting from tubers. It is softly hairy. The stems have raised spots but not thorns. The stems twine to the right. There are 1-2 tubers each year. The tubers are 2 m deep in the soil on long stalks. The tubers are 8 cm across. The skin colour is orange. The flesh is yellow and fibrous. It has large bulbils. The leaves are usually alternate. The leaf stalk is as long as the blade. The blade is oval or heart shaped and 12-24 cm long by 9-20 cm wide. The lower leaf surface is always hairy. The male flowering stalks occur as 1-2 together and are 18 cm long. The female flowering stalks are 15 cm long and have 40 flowers. The capsules have wings.

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

A tropical plant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia

How it is used for food

The tubers are boiled with salt.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Tuber, root, bulbils

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds, bulbils and tibers.

Its other names

Local names

Danga-alu, Dumpa, Kakalu, Kasa-alu, Kukui sanga, Kukuralu, Panglang, Pangla torul, Panglung, Peramuruthen, Ranmomnaru, Ruichelong, Rui-chilong, Savida

Synonyms

Dioscorea anguina Roxb.; Dioscorea cornifolia Kunth.;