fruits & vegetables :: NATIVE, WILD / CULTIVATED :: Dioscoreaceae » Dioscorea bulbifera

[Dinesh Valke]

Dioscoreaceae (yam family) » Dioscorea bulbifera
Synonyms: Dioscorea heterophylla, Dioscorea latifolia


dy-oh-SKOR-ee-uh -- named for Pedanios Dioscorides, 1st century Greek pharmacologist
bulb-EE-fer-uh -- bearing bulbs


commonly known as: aerial yam, air potato, air yam, bitter yam, bulbil-bearing yam, cheeky yam, malacca yam, otaheite-potato , potato yam, shoebutton air potato • Bengali: বনআলু ban alu • Hindi: गैण्ठी gainthi, कदू कन्दा kadu kanda, रतालू ratalu (apt for <i>D. purpurea</i>) • Kannada: ಅಮ್ಬಲಿ ಗೆಣಸು ambali genasu, ಹಮ್ದಿಗೆಣಸು hamdigenasu, ಹೆಗ್ಗೆನಸು heggenasu, ಕುಮ್ಟಗೆಣಸು kuntagenasu, ನೇಗಿಲುಹೊನ್ನೆ negilugonne • Konkani: करंदो karamdo • Malayalam: കാച്ചില് kaacchil, പന്നികിഴങ്ങ pannikizhangu • Marathi: डुकरकंद dukar-kand, कडूकरंदा kadu-karanda, वाराही varahi • Nepalese: गीट्ठा giitthaa, गीट्ठे तरुल giitthe tarul, वन तरुल van tarul • Oriya: pita alu • Sanskrit: आलुकः aluka, वराहीकन्द varahi-kand • Tamil: காட்டுச்சீரகவள்ளி kaatu-c-ciraka-valli, காட்டுக்காய்வள்ளி kaattu-k-kaay-valli • Telugu: అడవి దుంప adavi dumpa


Native to: tropical Africa, China, Indian subcontinent, Indo-China, tropical Australia


Edible use (WILD):

... tubers and aerial bulbils (as VEGETABLE) ... ... tribal folks of Melghat Forest ... ethnoleaflets
... tubers are like small, oblong potatoes, and they are edible and cultivated as a food crop, especially in West Africa ... Wikipedia