Dioscorea wallichii

Dioscorea wallichii Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 295 1892. (Syn: Dioscorea wallichii var. christiei Prain & Burkill; Dioscorea wallichii var. vera Prain & Burkill);

India to China (W. Yunnan) and Pen. Malaysia as per WCSP;

Stem twining to the right, smooth or scarcely prickly towards the base. Leaves to 12 x 12 cm, orbicular, bluntly acuminate, widely cordate at base; nerves 12 pairs from the base, glabrous, intercostae parallel; petiole to 14 cm long. Spikes 7-10 cm long, 3-6 together at nodes on 30-40 cm long peduncle; bracts and bracteoles ovate, acuminate. Male tepals 1 x 1 mm, ovate, acute; stamens 6.

Flowering and fruiting: October-November

Evergreen and moist deciduous forests

India, Myanmar and Thailand

(Attributions-Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi

from India Biodiversity Portal

Dioscorea wallichii is distributed from India to China and to Peninsula Malaysia (China, Assam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand).

D. wallichii is a climbing tuberous geophyte which grows on various large shrubs or trees in mixed deciduous forests, on mountain slopes, also occurs in disturbed areas along roadsides and margins of cultivated areas.

Tubers of Dioscorea wallichii are eaten after boiling and thorough washing.

Citation:

Contu, S. 2009. Dioscorea wallichii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 11 November 2014.