Marsh benzoin climber
Dioscorea pyrifolia

Family: Dioscoreaceae

What it is like

A yam. It keeps growing from year to year by sprouting from tubers. The stems have many spines at the base. Stems twine to the right. Stems can be 10 m long. The tubers are produced from a woody corm. There is more than one per year. They are 2.5 m deep in the soil on long stalks. The flesh is white. It does not have bulbils. The leaves are simple and usually opposite. The leaf stalk is 4.5 cm long. The leaf is 11 cm long by 8 cm wide. It is softly hairy. The male flowers are on leafless branches 5 cm long. The female flowering branches are 24 cm long. The flowers have a smell of benzoin.

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in fairly humid climates in wet sunny locations. It grows up to 700 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The tubers are baked or boiled in 2-3 changes of water then eaten.

Edible parts

Tubers, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Akar kemenyan paya, Badak, Eghen ngenro, Hngo, Huwi upas, Ilus, Ubi babi

Synonyms

Dioscorea diepenhorstii Miquel; Dioscorea oppositifolia L. sensu auct. mult.; Dioscorea zollingeriana Kunth.;