Dioscorea spicata

Roth.

Dioscoreaceae Edible: Roots, Tubers

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Dioscorea spicata is a herbaceous perennial in the family Dioscoreaceae.

Description

A yam. It has a twining vine. The stem can be 7 m long and is very slender. The tubers are 60-100 cm long by 6 cm wide. The leaves are opposite and 10 cm long by 5 cm wide. They vary in shape and are oval or sword shaped. The male flowers are in clusters with spikes 25 cm long in the axils of leaves. The female flower spikes occur singly and are drooping and 15-30 cm long.

Edible Uses

The tubers are use as a food source.

Traditional Uses

The tubers are boiled or steamed and eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in semi-evergreen forests.

Where It Grows

Asia, Himalayas, India, Northeastern India, Sri Lanka*,

Synonyms

Dioscorea nummularia var. glauca Prain & BurkillDioscorea spicata var. anamallayana Prain & BurkillDioscorea spicata var. parvifolia Prain & BUrkill

Also Known As

Arathikizhzngu, Athikizhangu, Eghen ngenchi, Gonala, Kavalakizhzngu

References (4)

Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 275
Mohan, V. R. & Kalidass, C., 2010, Nutritional and Antinutritional Evaluation of some Unconventional Wild Edible Plants. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 12 (2010): 495- 506
Murtem, G. & Chaudhrey, P., 2016, An ethnobotanical note on wild edible plants of Upper Eastern Himalaya, India. Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 63-81
Rajapaksha, U., 1998, Traditional Food Plants in Sri Lanka. HARTI, Sri Lanka. p 182