Dioscorea hirtiflora

Benth.

DioscoreaceaeRootsPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Tubers, Root, Bulbils, Caution

The tubers are eaten after the toxins are removed by extended soaking, then cooked. Bulbils are also edible portions.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in the savannah.

Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Congo R, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A yam. There are 1-6 tubers. They are up to 5 cm across. They are narrow and extend downwards into the soil. The stems twine right-handed. They do not have prickles. They can climb 6 m high. The leaves are usually opposite and the leaf blade in entire. The leaves are 6 cm across. The flowers are in loose arrangements. There are 3 subspecies.

Medicinal Uses

The mashed up tuber is applied to freshly washed areas of scabies. The leaf-sap is taken by mouth to treat hard pus-filled abscesses.

Other Information

A famine food. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 650 species of Dioscorea.

Names & Synonyms

Danda dion, Denda fara, Esssende, Inhame-di-mato, Kapol-forro, Mng'oko, Nhame-de-lobo

Dioscorea rubiginosa Benth.Dioscorea polyantha RendleDioscorea hirtiflora var. trapnellii Burkill

References (17)

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