Dioscorea villosa

Plants rhizomatous; rhizomes brownish, unbranched or highly branched, linear to irregularly contorted, 0.5–1.5 cm or more diam., nodes not articulate. Stems longitudinally grooved or sometimes narrowly winged, usually terete in cross section, 1–7 m, ± rigid proximally, or flexible, glabrous or rarely with sparse pubescence, wings when present less than 1 mm and stems polygonal. Leaves alternate, subopposite, subverticillate, or in verticels of 3–7 proximally, due to suppression of proximal internodes (esp. in woodland understory), always alternate distally, 3–13 × 2–13 cm, ca. as long as wide; petiole ridged or narrowly winged, 3–14 cm, glabrous or puberulent at pulvinus, base not clasping; blade green to ± glaucous, (7–)9–11-veined, ovate-cordate, abaxial surface sometimes ± glandular, or sparsely or sometimes densely pubescent to glabrous, base with sinus rounded, acute, or ± truncate basally, margins entire or repand, apex acute to acuminate, occasionally mucronate. Staminate inflorescences solitary in leaf axils, rarely terminal, spicate or branched; cymes sessile, bearing 1–3 sessile flowers, braceolate, internodes between cymes 1–8 mm, bracteoles ca. 1 mm; rachis 2–30 cm, secondary axes to 15 cm, robust plants occasionally branched to third order, axes subtended by linear-lanceolate bracts 1–3 mm. Pistillate inflorescences solitary, 4–18-flowered, 4–20 cm, internodes 6–12 mm. Staminate flowers: perianth greenish white, appearing darker in some specimens due to presence of irregularly distributed tannin crystals, rotate-campanulate to funnelform, 1–2(–3) mm diam.; tepals ± glandular, ovate-elliptic, margins hyaline, apex rounded or acute; stamens in 2 subequal whorls, erect; anthers ca. ½ length of filaments, thecae distinct, widely spreading. Pistillate flowers: perianth greenish white, rotate-campanulate, 2–4 mm wide; tepals as in staminate flowers; staminodes 6, differentiated into anthers and filaments, less than 1/2 length of fertile stamens. Capsules greenish gold, ovoid to obovoid to obreniform, 1–3 × 1–3.5 cm, varying continously in size, occasionally ± glaucous. Seeds generally 2 per locule, rarely 1, 5–18 mm. 2n = 20, 36, 54, 60.

3-6 hours of sun per day, with protection from intense mid-day sun

Dioscorea Villosa

Dioscorea villosa

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