Dioscorea transversa R.Br.

Tuber conical to cylindroidal, to 45 cm long. Stems twining, to 4 m long, terete, striate, glabrous. Bulbils absent. Leaves: lamina ovate to broadly triangular, 4–13 cm long, 2–11 cm wide, usually cordate, rarely hastate or truncate at base, acuminate at apex, 5–9-veined, glabrous; petiole 1–9 cm long. Male flowers: spikes 1 or 2 per axil, to 6 cm long, often branched; sepals and petals orbicular, 1.5–2.5 mm long, pale green; stamens 6. Female flowers: racemes 1 or 2 per axil, to 20 cm long, sometimes branched; perianth slightly smaller than male; staminodes 6. Capsules suborbicular to broadly ovate in lateral view, obcordate at apex, 20–35 mm long; lobes 15–20 mm wide. Seeds 5–6 mm long; wing 3–12 mm wide.

Grows in rainforest, wet eucalypt forest, gallery forest and occasionally in woodland. Coastal monsoon vine forest and thicket, often rambling into the surrounding open forest, streamline vegetation and vine forest in sandstone regions (Wightman & Andrews 1989: 122).

The yam tuber is cooked and eaten. They need to be leached in running water for several hours before cooking. The aerial bulbils along the vine are also used.

Plants can be grown from seed or by dividing the yam.