Just Dioscorea
James Waddick (Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:22:50 PDT)

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 +