fruits & vegetables :: NATIVE, WILD :: Dioscoreaceae » Dioscorea belophylla

[Dinesh Valke]

Dioscoreaceae (yam family) » Dioscorea belophylla
Synonym: Dioscorea glabra


dy-oh-SKOR-ee-uh -- named for Pedanios Dioscorides, 1st century Greek pharmacologist
bel-oh-FIL-uh -- spear or arrow-like leaves


commonly known as: spear-leaved dioscorea • Bengali: chupri alu • Hindi: तुरर turar • Kannada: ಕಾದು ಗೆಣಸು kaadu genasu • Marathi: जंगली मटोळ jangli matol, कडु कंद kadu kand, नंद कंद nand kand • Sanskrit: शङ्खालुका sankhaluka


Native of: India, Pakistan


Edible use (WILD):

... tubers (as VEGETABLE) ... ... tribal folks of Melghat Forest ... ethnoleaflets

[Balkar Arya]

Congrts Dinesh Ji for for a great Fruit and vegetable week . Really
huge response shown by you and other members will make this week a
great success.

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Regards

Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964

[JM Garg]

[J.M. Garg]

This looks different from images and references at Dioscorea belophylla (Prain) Voigt ex Haines

Appears close to images and details at Dioscorea bulbifera L.

Needs correction in Flora of India also.

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Dinesh Valke]

Ok, thanks Garg ji, I will correct my notes.

Regards.

Dinesh

[radha veach]

I feel that Dinesh's plant is  correctly identified as D. belophylla. The leaves of this species are variable and his images have the typical hastate shape not seen in Dioscorea bulbifera.

Triangular leaf lobes are also typical.

regards

Radha

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Radha ji, for your valuable inputs.

You may be right on account of cordate leaves as Flora of Pakistan says 'Leaves usually opposite, simple, 7.5-13 cm. long, 2-9 cm broad, variable, ovate, cordate or hastate with round basal lobes or deltoid, entire, acuminate, glabrous 9-nerved; petiole 6.5 cm long.

As per keys in Flora of Pakistan, leaves are opposite in D.belophylla, while these appear to be alternate here.

Pl. see at K 2226 16 October 2019 

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[radha veach]

According to Flora of Pakistan the leaves are usually opposite. It is true Dinesh ji's leaves are alternate.

Please see the link from iNaturalist which shows D. belophylla as commonly seen in Western Ghats.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/74846311

regards

Radha

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Radha ji.

I am in no way questioning that it is not being found in western ghats. 

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[radha veach]

No, of course not. I just wanted to show the more typical leaf form.

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Radha ji.

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With regards,
J. M. Garg

[Dinesh Valke]

Thanks Garg ji and Radha.

If more than one species of a family have variations, and to add to confusion, if these are quite similar looking species, then the descriptions alone may not help in reaching ID. I am not good at this D. belophylla, but the variations can cause confusion for sure.

In the photo that we see the leaves, each of them appear facing us. I do not know whether such an arrangement can be called alternate leaves. It makes me think that the opposite leaves are absent. Whether leaf arrangement itself is variable in this species, needs to be validated.

Regards.

Dinesh