Dioscorea trifida

Short description: Species of yam

This article is missing information about ploidy, both cultivated (auto-4n) and wild (2n) [PMID 20616868]. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (October 2021)

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Dioscorea trifida

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Monocots
Order:  | Dioscoreales
Family:  | Dioscoreaceae
Genus:  | Dioscorea
Species:  |

D. trifida

Binomial name
Dioscorea trifida

L.f.

Dioscorea trifida is a species of flowering plant in the family Dioscoreaceae. It is a species of yam (genus Dioscorea). It is native to the Caribbean and Central and South America.[1] Its many common names include Indian yam,[2] cush-cush,[1] yampi[citation needed] and yampee.[1] It is called mapuey in Venezuela,[3] inhame in Brazil, tabena and ñame in Colombia, sacha papa in Peru,[1] and ñampi in Costa Rica.

## Description

This plant is a vine that can exceed 3 meters in length.[4] One plant produces up to 12 stems, which are lined with several membranous wings.[5] They emerge from roots with tubers of various shape and size, generally up to 20 centimeters long by 8 wide.[4] The leaves are up to 23[6] to 30[4] centimeters long with blades divided into pointed lobes and borne on long, winged petioles. Green flowers with six tiny tepals are borne in the axils. The fruit is a winged, lightly hairy capsule up to about 2.7 centimeters long.[6]

## Uses

This is a cultivated yam species used for food in parts of the Americas, especially South America and some Caribbean nations. The starchy tuber has a thin, smooth skin marked with some cracks. It takes different shapes but is commonly spherical or club-shaped, or shaped like a horse hoof, sometimes with a cleft.[5] It comes in various colors, including white, purple, and black.[7] The crop is cultivated like the potato, but must be given a strong trellis for support. It is propagated by planting small tubers or tuber chunks. The crop can be harvested in 10 to 11 months.[5]

The tuber is cooked for food. It can be baked or boiled.[5] In Venezuela and Colombia it is mashed or used in soups.[3] In parts of the Caribbean it is known as "the best of the yams".[5] It is a staple food for some indigenous peoples.[7]

The tuber is about 38% starch.[5] It is a waxy starch that lacks amylose and has potential uses as a binder and thickener in food processing.[7]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Dioscorea trifida | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = 19 January 2018 }}
2. ↑ Dioscorea trifida. ITIS.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pérez, E., et al. (2011). Evaluation of the functional properties of promising Dioscorea trifida L. waxy starches for food innovation. International Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry vol. 2011, Article ID 165638, 7 pages.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Dioscorea trifida. FAO Ecocrop.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Stephens, J. M. Cushcush — Dioscorea trifida L. HS590. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida IFAS. Published 1994, revised 2009.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dioscorea trifida. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Barro Colorado Island.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Pérez, E., et al. (2010). Physicochemical, functional, and macromolecular properties of waxy yam starches discovered from "mapuey" (Dioscorea trifida) genotypes in the Venezuelan Amazon. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 59(1), 263-73.

Wikidata ☰ Q5279597 entry

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