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Dioscorea opposita

Authority Thunb. Family Liliopsida:Liliidae:Dioscoreales:Dioscoreaceae Synonyms Common names Editor Ecocrop code 5408

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A woody plant with spineless stems climbing to a height of 3 m. The leaves are 4-8 cm in length. The tubers are club or spindle-shaped, up to 1 m in length, growing in a vertical direction. USES The underground tubers are cooked like potatoes, often after slicing or grating and boiling. The plant is often grown as an ornamental but escapes easily and can be come a weed in waste areas. GROWING PERIOD Perennial vine, tubers may be harvested 160-180 days from sowing. COMMON NAMES Chinese yam, Chinese potato, Cinnamon vine, Igname de Chine, Name de Chino. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: D. batatas. Chinese yam is native of China. Optimum daylengths for both tuber and bulbil formation are 10-11 hours. Yields may be in the region of 4-6 t/ha.
Sources
SOURCES (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) Tindall H 1983 pp 201-202 & 216 [TEMP, RAIN, PHO, TEXT, FER] Duke J 1975 pp 15 (D. oppositifolia) [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Roecklein J 1987 pp 464 [USE] Purseglove J 1972 pp 107 [USE]