Dioscorea koyamae
Jayasuriya
gbif· cc-by
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
gbif· cc-by
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
gbif· cc-by
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Description
A yam. The stem is angular and up to 10 m long. There are prickles but no leaves for the first 4 m of the stem. The prickles are 2 mm long. The leaves are alternate and the blade is sword shaped to oval. They can be 7-12 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. It has a single tuber which is usually straight and unbranched. It can be 1.5 m long and 5 cm across.
Edible Uses
The tuber and roots are eaten.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant.
Where It Grows
Asia, Sri Lanka,
References (1)
- Jayasuriya, A. H. M., 1990, Dioscorea koyamae (Dioscoreaceae), A new edible yam from Sri Lanka, Brittonia 42(2) pp 142-146
