Dioscorea pyrifolia Kunth

Tubers more than 1 each year, thrust deep into the soil even to 2½ m, by long stalks from which they are not sharply differentiated; flesh white; the corm whence the tubers arise is intensely woody. Stems abundantly armed at the base, climbing to 10 m, glabrescent, ca 5 mm in diam. Bulbils absent. Leaves opposed except a few at the very base of the stem, rather firm, ovate-elliptic from a cordiform base, acuminate, the acumen with large glands in it, to 11 by 8 cm; youth leaves hastate; lower surface drying often an intense rust-red, pubescent in various degrees, sometimes only at the petiolar end of the blade; petiole to 4.5 cm long. Male flowering axes 1-4 together, aggregated on leafless branches or branch-ends; axes to 5 cm long, with perhaps 50 flowers spaced their own diameter apart or a little less, pubescent or puberulous, often curved and upwards showing a slight inconstant negative geo-tropism. Buds globose above their flat base, 1 mm long. Female flowering axes (1)—2—(3) together, to 24 cm long, pubescent, angled. Capsules glabrous at maturity, apex slightly retuse; base subtruncate; wings 18-20 by 22 mm; stipe to 7 mm.

Ascending to 700 m and possibly higher, confined to an ever-wet climate and often close to running water, so favoured by a wet soil as on roadside borders in Malacca to increase where the road dips into a hollow. It cannot thrive in the tall forest; it will hold a place in the sun provided that the soil is shaded.

Econ. The tubers escape human use and the vernacular names are such as akar kemeniyan or benzoin climber which recall the scent of the flowers.

Can be grown by seedlings.