General Information
NameMountain yam
Scientific NameDioscorea pentaphylla
DescriptionDioscorea pentaphylla is a species of flowering plant in the yam family known by the common name fiveleaf yam. It is native to tropical Asia or eastern Polynesia, and it is present elsewhere as an introduced species. This species is a prickly vine that twines counterclockwise around objects and other plants. It may reach 10 meters in length. The alternately arranged leaves are compound, divided into 3 to 5 leaflets each up to 10 centimeters long. The plant produces horseshoe-shaped bulbils about a centimeter long. New plants can sprout from the bulbils. Flowers are borne in spikes. The vine grows from a tuber. Specimens may be 3 pounds in weight and may be located over a meter underground. The tubers of the vine can be cooked and eaten.
Primary IDFOOD00411
Picture417
Classification
GroupVegetables
Sub-GroupTubers
Taxonomy
Lineage
ITIS ID43379
Wikipedia IDDioscorea pentaphylla
Composition
Compounds
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Macronutrients
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References
Content Reference— Duke, James. 'Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. United States Department of Agriculture.' Agricultural Research Service, Accessed April 27 (2004).
— U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2008. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page.