Dioscorea bulbifera (commonly known as the air potato, air yam, bitter yam, cheeky yam, potato yam, aerial yam, and parsnip yam) is a species of true yam in the yam family, Dioscoreaceae. It is native to Africa, Asia and northern Australia. It is widely cultivated and has become naturalized in many regions.
Description
D. bulbifera L. from the Japanese Seikei Zusetsu agricultural encyclopedia
Dioscorea bulbifera is a perennial vine with broad, alternate leaves, and two types of storage organs. The plant forms bulbils in the leaf axils of the twining stems, and tubers beneath the ground. These tubers are like small, oblong potatoes.
Air potato can grow extremely quickly, roughly 20 centimetres (8 in) per day, and eventually reach over 18 metres (60 ft) long. It typically climbs to the tops of trees and has a tendency to take over native plants. New plants develop from bulbils that form on the plant, and these bulbils serve as a means of dispersal. The aerial stems of air potato die back in winter, but resprouting occurs from bulbils and underground tubers.
When it twists around another plant or some sort of support, it always twists counterclockwise, unlike the winged yam Dioscorea alata.
The primary means of spread and reproduction are by the bulbils. The smallest bulbils make control of air potato difficult due to their ability to sprout at a very small stage. The vine produces small white flowers; however, these are rarely seen when it grows in places such as Florida. The fruits are capsules.
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Corm (tuber)
Shoot
Bulbils
