Dioscorea altissima
Lam.
Dunguey
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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) David Horcajada Tejero, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaDioscorea altissima is a herbaceous vine in the genus Dioscorea that is indigenous to forested areas of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Central America north to Panama, and the Caribbean. Its tubers are foraged and cooked for human consumption, and they are also cultivated in Brazil on a small scale. This species has been introduced to Puerto Rico.
Description
A yam. It is a climbing plant with stems up to 10 m long. The stems are spiny with spines that curve back and are 1 cm long. The stems are angular and 1.5 cm across. The leaves are alternate. The leaves are large and oval but heart shaped at the base. They are 8-15 cm long by 7-16 cm wide. The edges are slightly wavy. They are shiny on the upper surface and dull underneath. It has a large tuberous rootstock. The flowers are in a simple spike. The fruit is a capsule 3 cm long.
Edible Uses
The tubers are cooked and eaten.
Traditional Uses
The tubers are cooked and eaten.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Used traditionally (FPI).
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in moist forest. It has been recorded growing up to 2,200 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guianas, Guyana, Hispaniola, Honduras, Lesser Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America, St Lucia, Suriname, Tobago, Venezuela, West Indies,
Other Information
It is cultivated in some places.
Notes
There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.
Synonyms
References (3)
- Bortolotto, I. M., et al, 2018, Lista preliminar das plantas alimenticias nativas de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Iheringia, Serie Botanica, Porto Alegre, 73 (supl.):101-116
- Chu, E. P., Figueiredo-Ribeiro, R. C. L., 1991, Native and Exotic Species of Dioscorea Used as Food In Brazil. Economic Botany, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 467-479
- Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
