>>I also grow Dioscorea japonica which is even more vigourous.Seed >>was obtained from North Green Seeds in England. >>It has just shot up 3 meters in a few weeks from an established >>plant.It was supposed to have wonderful marbled foliage...No score >>there! Dear Mark and all, I have grown a variegated Dioscorea for ages on a large metal arbor. Each year it puts out variegated and non-variegated stems. When it is well variegated it is super with lots of white splashes on every leaf. It produces lots of aerial tubers and these sprout all over - some variegated, some not. I've taken well variegated small plants , potted them carefully and they produced lush non-variegated growth from them. Very frustrating because it is so nicely patterned when it is good, but just OK when not. I got my original plant as a gift of several small aerial tubers. Here's my questions. I've never had a species name attached. I just spent a while Googling D. japonica at Mark's hint and this looks likely, but there's remarkably little info on this or most Dioscorea. Mark or anyone- Can you suggest any good characters to ID this species? Each year it grows 15 to 20 feet tall and grabs on the arbor, then up into a near by tree. It makes lots of small aerial tubers and is a handsome vine. Are these tubers (less than 1 in in diameter) edible? I assume that they are NOT EDIBLE when raw, but hardly worth collecting and cooking. I've never dug the underground tubers. Any food thoughts in general about Dioscorea? I've seen plants of D. batatas (I think it was that species) with (relatively) huge aerial tuber up to 6 inches long. How hardy are these in northern climates? I don't recall much discussion on this genus or its family on this list and only a few (mostly succulent) species are on the wiki. I seem to recall that there are a few grown with ornamental foliage, too. I'd sure appreciate comments on the genus in general. Inquiring minds and all that. Let's talk Dioscorea Thanks Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +