Dioscorea oppositifolia L.

A yam. It is a large climber that keeps growing from year to year. The tuber is cylinder shaped and 50-90 cm long. The stem twines clockwise. It produces bulbils in the axils of leaves. The leaves are opposite and have 3-5 leaflets like fingers on a hand. They are 5-20 cm long by 3-8 cm wide.

A tropical plant. It grows on the Deccan in India. It grows in open forest or along the edge of the forest. It is a cold hardy species. It grows on hillsides and steep valleys between 500-1,500 m altitude. In Sichuan.

The tubers are cut and washed with successively with salt and fresh water to remove analk alkaloid dioscorine then cooked and eaten. The tubers are cooked and eaten. They are not glutinous so have little binding strength. They can be boiled, mashed, fried, or added to soups. A starch is extracted from the roots.