Dioscorea altissima

Lam.

Dioscoreaceae

+ Synonyms

Dioscorea balsapuertensis R.Knuth

Dioscorea calcarea R.Knuth

Dioscorea chondrocarpa Griseb.

Dioscorea hoehneana R.Knuth

Dioscorea maranonensis R.Knuth

Dioscorea nitida R.Knuth

Dioscorea poeppigii Kunth

Dioscorea rajanioides Uline ex R.Knuth

Dioscorea revillae Ayala

Dioscorea riparia Kunth & R.H.Schomb.

Dioscorea samydea Griseb.

Common Name: Dunguey

Drawing of the root and leaves
Photograph by: Descourtilz, M.E., Flore médicale des Antilles, vol. 8: t. 535 (1829) [J.T. Descourtilz]

General Information

Dunguey is a perennial climbing plant producing stems 10 metres or more long from a tuberous rootstock. These stems scramble over the ground, or twine into the surrounding vegetation[

418

Title: Ecocrop
Publication
Author
Website: http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
Year: 0
ISBN
Description: Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.

].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible tubers[

Title: Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
Author: Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher: Weinheim
Year: 1959
ISBN: -
Description: An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

], and is also cultivated locally in Brazil for its edible tubers[

317

Title: Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
Author
Website: http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
Year: 0
ISBN
Description: Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north through Central America to Panama and the Caribbean.

Habitat

Occasional in moist forests at lower to middle elevations in Puerto Rico.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Tubers - cooked[

Title: Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
Author: Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher: Weinheim
Year: 1959
ISBN: -
Description: An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-11-22. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dioscorea+altissima>

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