Dioscorea pierrei Prain & Burkill

Tuber stalked and clavate, as much as 130 cm long by 8 cm in diam.; flesh edible. Stem with scattered prickles, abundantly softly pubescent. Leaves 3-5-foliolate; petiole shorter than the middle leaflet by ¼, with red-brown hair; middle leaflet elliptic to ovate, moderately acuminate; base acute, penninerved, to 15 cm long; outer leaflets inequilaterally ovate and smaller than the middle leaflet by 1/4; upper surface of the leaflets with scattered red-brown rather stiff hairs, lower densely pubescent; petiolules to 5 mm long. Male flowering axes on leafless branches which attain 30 cm; axes 1-2 together to 30 mm long, their flowers set touching. Bracts ovate, rather acute, densely pubescent on the back; pedicels ½ mm. Outer tepals exactly ovate above a broad base, 1 mm long, pubescent outside. Inner tepals narrowly obovate, glabrous, shorter than the outer ones and thick. Stamens as in D. tamarisciflora, staminodes overtopping them. Female flowering axes decurved, 1-2 together, densely pubescent. Bracts lanceolate to 1 mm long. Outer tepals linear-lanceolate, acute, rather less than 1 mm long pubescent outside, inner ones a little shorter. Pedicels less than 1 mm long, reflexed after pollination. Capsules just imbricating, retaining their pubescence to ripeness by which time it is bleached white, sub truncate at the apex, rounded at the base, wings 22 by 7 mm.

It is a tropical plant. It can grow on sandstone and limestone. It grows in forests between sea level and 250 m above sea level.

The tubers are watery. They can be cooked and eaten or used for drinks in the forest.