Dioscoreaceae

155 edible species

Climbing vines producing starchy tubers; includes yams, important staple crops worldwide.

Dioscorea abyssinica

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea acanthogene

Edible: Tubers, Roots

Dioscorea alata

Greater yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Vegetable, Bulbils

Dioscorea altissima

Dunguey

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea amaranthoides

Edible: Root ?, Tuber ?

Dioscorea amazonum

Cara

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea arachidna

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils

Dioscorea arcuatinervis

Edible: Roots, Tubers

Dioscorea asteriscus

Edible: Roots, Tubers

Dioscorea batatas

Chinese Yam

Edible: Fruit, Root

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea belophylla

Spear-leaved yam, Tarur

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea bemandry

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea bemarivensis

Trengitrengy

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea birmanica

Edible: Rhizomes, Caution

Dioscorea bridgesii

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea bulbifera

Potato yam

Edible: Tuber, Root, Bulbils, Vegetable

Dioscorea burkilliana

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea calcicola

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea campestris

Cara do campo

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea cayenensis

Yellow Guinea yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Vegetable

Dioscorea cayenensis subsp. rotundata

White Guinea Yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Vegetable

Dioscorea cayennensis var. pruinosa

Wild yam

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea cinnamomifolia

Cara acu

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea cirrhosa

Dyeing yam, Cu nau, Cu mao

Edible: Root, Tuber

Dioscorea claessensii

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea cochleariapiculata

Edible: Tubers, Root, Caution

Dioscorea comorensis

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea convolvulacea

Barbasquillo

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea cumingii

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea daunea

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea debilis

Edible: Tubers, Roots

Dioscorea delavayi

Edible: Root

Dioscorea delicata

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea deltoidea

Nepal yam

Edible: Root, Tuber, Bulbils

Dioscorea depauperata

Edible: Tubers, Roots

Dioscorea divaricata

Chinese yam

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea dodecaneura

Cara barbado

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea dregeana

Wild yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Caution

Dioscorea dumetorum

African bitter yam, Cluster yam, Three leafed yam

Edible: Tubers, Caution, Leaves, Vegetable, Root

Dioscorea elegans

Edible: Tubers

Dioscorea elephantipes

Elephant’s foot, Hottentot bread

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea esculenta

Lesser yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Vegetable

Dioscorea fandra

Anjiky

Edible: Tuber

Dioscorea filiformis

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea flabellifolia

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea floribunda

Edible: Tuber

Dioscorea fordii

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea gibbiflora

Wauh

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea glabra

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea glandulosa

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea gracilis

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea gribinguiensis

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea hamiltonii

Sandikilangu

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils

Dioscorea hassleriana

Edible: Tubers

Dioscorea hastata

Cara coco

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea hastifolia

Spear-leaved dioscorea

Dioscorea hebridensis

Edible: Root, Tuber

Dioscorea heptaneura

Cara preto

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea hirtiflora

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils, Caution

Dioscorea hirtiflora subsp. orientalis

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea hirtiflora subsp. pedicellata

Siboyane

Edible: Tubers, Root, Caution

Dioscorea hispida

Bitter yam, Asiatic bitter yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils

Dioscorea humifusa

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea irodensis

Edible: Tuber

Dioscorea japonica

Japanese yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils, Leaf tips

Dioscorea kamoonensis

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbil

Dioscorea karatana

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea koyamae

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea kratica

Edible: Tubers, Roots

Dioscorea lacerdaei

Inhame cigarra

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea laurifolia

Ghost's benzoin climber

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea laxiflora

Caratinga bravo

Edible: Tubers, Root, Caution

Dioscorea linearicordata

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea longicuspis

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea luzonensis

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea maciba

Ovy

Edible: Tuber

Dioscorea mangenotiana

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea mayottensis

Mitrou, Oviala

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea melanophyma

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea membranacea

Edible: Tuber, Root, Rhizome

Dioscorea mexicana

Edible: Tubers, Shoots

Dioscorea minutiflora

Edible: Tubers, Root, Vegetable

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea nipponica

Japan yam, Uchiwa yam

Edible: Caution

Dioscorea nummularia

Nummularia yam

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea olfersiana

Cara

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea opaca

Edible: Root ? Tuber ?

Dioscorea oppositifolia

Chinese yam, Cinnamon yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Bulbils

Dioscorea orbiculata

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea orbiculata var. tenuifolia

Edible: Root, Tuber

Dioscorea ovata

Cara inhame

Edible: Tuber, Root

Dioscorea ovinala

Angily, Ovinala

Edible: Tuber

Dioscorea owenii

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea pentaphylla

Five leaflet yam

Edible: Tubers, Root, Leaves, Flowers, Bulbils

Dioscorea piperifolia

Caratinga

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea piscatorum

Fish-poison yam

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea poilanei

Edible: Root, Tuber

Dioscorea polyclados

Kedut

Edible: Tubers, Root

Dioscorea polygonoides

Biter jessie

Edible: Tubers, Root