Covering a
three meter high window at my lab.
The strange back-ward-growing
of the leafs. Might be good at climbing.
My plant is male,
and this is it's flowers. The female flowers are real close
to those of
Dioscorea elephantipes.
The roots are always
soaked in water, when the plant s in growth - and it loves it!
Cluster of male
flowers.
Male flower. |
Author: |
Michael J.F: Scheidweiler,
1837 |
Family: |
DIOSCOREACEAE |
Origin: |
Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama |
Soil: |
Mix |
Water:
|
Medium - Maximum |
Sun: |
Medium |
Thickness: |
50
Centimetres |
Height: |
6
Meters |
Flower:
|
Greenish / Dark
Purple |
Propagate: |
Seeds/Cuttings |
Names:
|
Colic Root. Chinese Yam |
Synonyms: |
Dioscorea macrostachya Benth. 1841.
Dioscorea
deppei Schiede ex Schltdl. 1843.
Dioscorea
macrophylla Schltdl. 1843.
Dioscorea tuerckheimii
R. Knuth, 1917.
Dioscorea deamii Matuda, 1953.
Dioscorea macrostachya var. sessiliflora Uline,
1896 = Dioscorea mexicana var. sessiliflora (Uline)
Matuda, 1953. |
This member of the Dioscoreaceae
family was described by Michael Joseph François Scheidweiler in1837. It
is from
Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
and Panama. It is preferring a
well-drained
soil, some to lots of water and moderate sun. The caudex forms out of the ground,
and gets 50 cm in diameter. The few vines reaches six meters. It seems
like the leaves grows back-wards on the stem. Both male and female flowers are
greenish and dark purple. It's possible to make cuttings.
The caudex must be kept in shade. It is a
dioecious species; either male or female plant.
Dioscorea is named after
Pedianos Dioscorides, a Greek physician if the 1st century A.D. The
species name indicates its origin from Mexico.
This is kind of a
winter grower, but will do fine a summer as well.
|
In 2008, the old stem
did not die, it just got a new stem next to it. Later, the old
stem got new side branches first, then the new. In autumn; a new
main stem. Ended up covering the window entirely! Consuming half a litre
of water every day,
putting on some good growth to the caudex:
The big leaf,
size as a hand.
Male flowers.
Clusters of male
flowers.
Cluster of male
flowers. |