DIOSCOREA L.

List of Species

Details

Twining dioecious herbs, tubers variable in shape, colour, and depth in ground. Axillary bulbils present or absent. Leaves mostly alternate, sometimes opposite, petiolate, simple or palmately compound, with 3-7 leaflets, nerves palmate in simple leaves and pinnate in leaflets. Male inflorescence: axillary, spicate, racemose or rarely cymose, flowers small, green or rosaceous or whitish, stamens 6, sometimes inner 3 forming staminodes. Female inflorescence: axillary, spicate, 3.5-10.0 cm long, few flowered, staminodes present or absent. Fruit a capsule, 3-winged, dehiscent. Seeds with a membranous wing.

Key to the Species

1. Stems twining to the left, leaves compound D. hispida
+ Stems twining to the left or to the right, leaves simple 5
2. stems usually armed or prickly; leaflets broadly oblanceolate or obovate, hairs red brown or brown, capsule apex truncate 3
+ Stems unarmed; leaflets ovate lanceolate, hairs white, capsule apex obtuse 4
3. Stem tomentose; flowers sessile, leaves usually 3-foliate, rarely 5 D. tomentosa
+ Stems glabrous, flowers pedicellate, leaves 3-5 foliate D. pentaphylla