Dioscorea buchananii Benth.

Tuber perennial, woody, irregularly shaped, often with flattened sometimes horizontal lobes, up to 30 cm. long.. Plant glabrous.. Twining stems up to 9 m. long, terete.. Leaves alternate; petiole up to 40(–60) cm. long; blade very variable in shape and size, heart-shaped or triangular in outline, entire or 2–6-lobed in the lower half (see fig. 3/4–6, p. 8), with a short acute acumen, up to 12 cm. long and 15.5 cm. wide, often proportionally much narrower.. Inflorescences directed downwards, single in the leaf-axils.. Male raceme dense, up to 5(–6) cm. long, often much shorter; pedicels ± 2 mm. long; perianth cup-shaped, ± 10(–13) mm. across when flattened. Stamens 6.. Female inflorescences spicate, up to 35 cm. long; flowers directed downward or somewhat spreading; perianth star-shaped, ± 8 mm. in diameter. Ovary ± 8 mm. long.. Capsule as in fig. 1/7, p. 4, up to 3.5 cm. long and 2 cm. in diameter.. Seeds (fig. 1/7a) with a broad wing at each end joined by a narrower wing, oblong, 16 mm. long, 10 mm. wide.