Common Name:

General Information

Dioscorea nummularia is a perennial climbing plant producing annual, twining stems from a tuberous rootstock. These stems scramble over the ground, or twine into the surrounding vegetation[].
The plant is widely cultivated in Indonesia, the Pacific Islands and Papua New Guinea for its edible root[, ].

Known Hazards

Edible species of Dioscorea have opposite leaves whilst poisonous species have alternate leaves[].

Botanical References

Range

Southeastern Asia - Indonesia, Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Plants grow best in lowland tropical areas with a temperature around 26 - 34°c; a well-defined dry season of 2 - 5 months; and a total rainfall of 1,300 - 1,700mm evenly distributed throughout the remainder of the year[].
For best yields, this species requires a deep, well-drained, sandy loam that is not liable to water-logging[].
Daylengths of more than 12 hours are preferred during the early growing season since this encourages vegetative growth; daylengths of less than 12 hours towards the end of the growing season will encourage tuber formation and development[].
There are some named varieties[].
The tubers form at an appreciable depth and are often left for 2 - 3 years to mature before harvesting[].
A dioecious species, both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[, ]. The tubers of this species are never poisonous, but they are not generally preferred because of their saponin content[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The tough stems are used for cordage[].

Propagation

Seed - not normally used to propagate this species.
Cuttings of tubers. Small tubers can be cut into 2 - 4 sections, larger ones into 6 - 8 sections. Each section should have 2 - 3 dormant buds. The cut tuber is often left in the sun for several hours to promote wound healing and reduce the risk of fungal infection[].

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