Dioscorea dumetorum

(Kunth) Pax

African bitter yam, Cluster yam, Three leafed yam

DioscoreaceaeLeavesRootsScore: 36/100Potential hazards — see below

foodpoison

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(c) Scamperdale, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) franceschase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Tubers, Caution, Leaves, Vegetable, Root

The tubers are processed through boiling, peeling, slicing, pounding, and steeping in running water (preferably salted) before drying and eating. They are also used to make an alcoholic drink. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

Known Hazards

Dioscorea dumetorum is a famine food in West Africa. It is frequently planted as a backup harvest in cases of crop failure. However, the regular use of D. dumetorum is limited due to its frequent toxicity and tendency to harden after harvesting. Because of the toxicity of most trifoliate yam races, specific processing before consumption is required. Methods for detoxification include: placing in running water for 3-5 days or burying in black soil. Salt, Tamarind pods, or desert dates are sometimes added to these methods as detoxicants. In Mozambique, the tubers are first cut into thin slices, dried on rocks, and then undergo a detoxification process. Nontoxic varieties of D. dumetorum are common in West Africa. In countries such as Benin and Nigeria these varieties are farmed in subsistence agriculture. In West Africa, the non-toxic varieties of D. dumetorum are considered an underutilized food source as the tuber is high in starch and nutrients. Nonetheless, the bitter yam species remains economically and culturally significant in the region. Additionally, the yam is observed to harden after harvest, a characteristic which decreases its appeal for consumers. Microscopy of yams post harvest has demonstrated that the hardening of the tuber is due to the thickening of cell walls. The rate of hardening is dependent on how D. dumetorum is stored. To avoid post harvest hardening trifoliate yam is frequently ground into flour after harvesting. Bitter yam can be consumed whole, boiled, or fried. Flour made from the tuber is used to make unleavened bread or to make porridge. The seeds can also be eaten but must undergo a detoxification process and are then dried.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It is native to tropical Africa. It grows between 15°N and 15°S. It grows on the edges of forests and along river banks. It occurs between 500-1,400 m altitude.

Africa, Angola, Asia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A climbing yam plant. It can be 10 m long. The vine twines left or clockwise. The vine is robust and has prickles near the base. The leaf has 3 leaflets. The flowers are small and round. Sometimes it forms bulbils or small aerial yams along the stem. Underground the tubers are usually fused together to form a cluster. Some wild forms are very poisonous. The tubers vary in shape and colour. There is often a main tuber with deep lobes then small tubers around it. They are near the soil surface and 3-7 cm across. The flesh can be white, pale yellow or dark yellow.

Nutrition Score: 36/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Tuber	67	520	124	3.2	—	—	—	—

How to Grow

Plants are grown from setts or section of the tubers. Sections of the vine can be used.

Propagation: Seed - not normally used to propagate this species. Cuttings of tubers. Small tubers can be cut into 2 - 4 sections, larger ones into 6 - 8 sections. Each section should have 2 - 3 dormant buds. The cut tuber is often left in the sun for several hours to promote wound healing and reduce the risk of fungal infection.

Medicinal Uses

The tuber is boiled and eaten, or the liquid can be drunk, in the treatment of jaundice and malaria. The root is considered a cure for schistosomiasis. The powder obtained from dried and pounded roots is soaked in water and used to treat bilharzia. The root is used topically as an anodyne to relieve pain. In Sudan it is used on rheumatic arthritis

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Dioscorea dumetorum, also known as the bitter yam, cluster yam, trifoliate yam, or three-leaved yam, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family, Dioscorea. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa and especially common in the tropical regions of West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana. D. dumetorum has both toxic and non-toxic varieties.

Production

A crop takes 8-10 months to maturity. Tubers are collected soon after the rainy season finishes.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. A famine food.

Notes

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea. The tuber contains a water soluble toxicant, dioscorine, which is leached out.

Names & Synonyms

Chinkolongo, Cinkolongo, Dimhue, E-dyeny, Ekesya-bangoya, Elenge, Esuri yam, Esuru, Idiya, Ikamba, Inkolongo, Kigongo, Kikwa, Kinana, Kotonto, Kulu sanga, Lefe, Ma-nyeny, Mabaia, Mpeta, Ndiga, Ndiya, Nkanfo, Nkasa, Rogon biri, Trifoliate yam, Tugu, Yayii

Dioscorea triphylla Schimp. ex KunthDioscorea triphylla Schimp. ex Kunth var. tomentosa RendleDioscorea triphylla Schimp. ex Kunth var. dumetorum (Kunth) R. KunthDioscorea triphylla Schimp. ex Kunth var. abyssinica R. KnuthDioscorea triphylla Schimp. ex Kunth var. rotundata R. KnuthDioscorea buchholziana Engl.Helmia dumetorum Kunth

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