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Family : DIOSCOREACEAE |
Protologue : Sp. Pl. 2: 1033 (1753)  |
Information on the genus : Dioscorea |
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Status
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Status for TA : | accepted (present) |
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Synonym(s) Homotypic |
Helmia bulbifera (L.) Kunth |
Polynome bulbifera (L.) Salisb. |
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Synonym(s) Heterotypic |
=Dioscorea latifolia var. anthropophagorum A. Chev. |
=*Dioscorea anthropophagorum A. Chev. (1913) |
=Dioscorea bulbifera var. anthropophagorum (A. Chev. ex Jum.) Prain & Burkill ex Summerh. (1931) (MA = accepted; TA = rejected) |
=Dioscorea bulbifera var. sativa Prain |
=Dioscorea hoffa Cordem. (1895) |
=Dioscorea hofika Jum. & H. Perrier |
=Dioscorea latifolia Benth. (1849) |
=Dioscorea latifolia var. longipetiolata (Baudon) A. Chev. |
=Dioscorea longipetiolata Baudon (1913) |
=Dioscorea perrieri R. Knuth (1924) |
=Dioscorea sylvestris De Wild. |
=Dioscorea zara var. var. violacea (Baudon) A. Chev. |
=Dioscorea violacea Baudon (1913) |
=Dioscorea sativa Thunb. non L. |
=Dioscorea crispata Roxb. |
=Dioscorea heterophylla Roxb. |
=Dioscorea korrorensis R. Knuth |
=Dioscorea pulchella Roxb. |
=Dioscorea rogersii Prain & Burkill |
=Dioscorea sativa var. elongata F.M. Bailey |
=Dioscorea sativa var. rotunda F.M. Bailey |
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Taxon infra-specific |
Dioscorea bulbifera var. anthropophagorum (A. Chev. ex Jum.) Prain & Burkill ex Summerh. (1931) |
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Ecology and distribution |
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Biology : |
Vigorous vine with annual stems 3-12 m long, leaft-twining, terete, unarmed, glabrous; tuber perennial, irregularly ovoid to subglobose, occasionally elongate, sometimes absent; leaves as in D. asteriscus, alternate, petiole to 8 cm long, blade to 14-18 cm long and broad, often much smaller; aerial axillary bulbils subglobose to ovoid, 0,6-3 cm Ø, rounded, poisonous (var. bulbifera, i.e. non-cultivated forms), or angular, flattened, to 10 cm long, brown, edible (var. anthropophagorum, i.e. cultivated forms); inflorescences as in D. asteriscus, simple or compound, except that flowers are sessile, turned toward inflorescence apex in both genders; male flower tepals (sub)erect, 2 mm long, pale pink; female flower ovary not restricted just below perianth; capsule only 1-2,2(-3)x0,1-1,5 cm; seed winged at basal end. – Not possible to distinguish from D. asteriscus in the sterile state. |
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Ecology : |
Rain-forest; secondary evergreen bushland; steep slopes in broad-leaved riverine forest and forest edges; persisting in abandoned cultivated ground and by perennial rivers; mopane woodland; swamp sides; sand; forest regrowths; secondary forests; savanna; forest gallery; seasonally flooded sedge meadow; fallows; 0-1500 m alt. |
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Domesticated in Africa. However, male material is very rare in or absent from collections in Africa, female races are perhaps preferred in cultivation |
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The most widespread Dioscorea species: tropical Africa, extending from W Africa throughout along the coast and penetrating inland along migration and trade and travel routes; also in Asia to Polynesia. |
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Bibliography for Tropical Africa :
- Boudet G. & J.P. Lebrun (1986). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali. Etudes et Synthèses IEMVT 16
- Cat. Pl. Vasc. Burkina Faso:59 (2012)
- Darbyshire, I. Kordofami, M. & al. (2015). The plants of Sudan and South Sudan, An annoted checklist. Kew Publishing
- César J. & C. Chatelain (2019). Flore illustrée du Tchad. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève, Coopération Suisse & Univ. N'Djaména
Bibliography for Southern Africa :
- Food plants of Zimbabwe : 8 (1986).
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More info on : |
see under Jstor_African Plant Initiative |
see under chg |
see under Fgui |
see under The International Plant Name Index |
see under The International Plant Name Index |
see under The International Plant Name Index |
see under African Plants - a Photo Guide |
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Map |
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More information >> ( work in progress )
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Record n°11233 |
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