Dioscorea schimperiana Hochst. ex Kunth

A yam. The vine can be 8 m long. It has a single tuber. This is 3 cm wide and 60 cm long. It grows downwards into the soil. The stem twines to the right. It is stout and does not have prickles. The leaves are usually opposite. They are 10-20 cm long and heart shaped. The flowers hang down in spikes in the axils of leaves. It can have bulbils. They are 1 cm across. The fruit are 4 winged capsules. They become papery when dry.

A tropical plant. It grows in subsaharan Africa. It grows near river banks and can be amongst rocks or on termite mounds. It grows between 800-1,800 m altitude.

The bulbils are occasionally eaten.

Can be grown by seedlings.