Dioscoreaceae
Lesser yam
Dioscorea esculenta
- Family
- Dioscoreaceae
- Genus
- Dioscorea
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Common names
By language (14)
- Arabic
- ديسقوريا مغذية
- arz
- ديسقوريا مغذيه
- Chinese
- 甘薯, 甘藷, 刺薯蕷, 甜薯, 刺薯蓣, 有刺甘薯
- Czech
- Smldinec zelný
- English
- Lesser yam
- Hindi
- सुथनी
- Indonesian
- Gembili
- Japanese
- トゲドコロ
- Javanese
- Gembili
- Malay
- Ubi torak, Ubi itik, Ubi ketopong
- Malayalam
- നനകിഴങ്ങ്
- pam
- Tugi
- Thai
- มันมือเสือ
- Tongan
- ʻUfilei
Synonyms
- Dioscorea aculeata Roxb.
- Dioscorea aculeata var. spinosa (Prain) Roxb. ex Prain & Burkill
- Dioscorea esculenta var. esculenta
- Dioscorea esculenta var. fasciculata (Roxb.) Prain & Burkill
- Dioscorea esculenta var. fasciculata (Roxb.) R.Knuth
- Dioscorea esculenta var. fulvido-tomentosa R.Knuth
- Dioscorea esculenta var. spinosa (Prain) R.Knuth
- Dioscorea esculenta var. tiliifolia (Kunth) Fosberg & Sachet
- Dioscorea fasciculata Roxb.
- Dioscorea fasciculata var. spinosa Prain
- Dioscorea papillaris Blanco
- Dioscorea papuana Warb.
- Dioscorea spinosa Roxb. ex Hook.f.
- Dioscorea tiliifolia Kunth
- Dioscorea tugui Blanco
- Oncorhiza esculentus (Lour.) Pers.
- Oncus esculentus Lour.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb, Vine
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced
Photos
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: 胡正恆(Jackson Hu), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: 胡正恆(Jackson Hu), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Ir. J.G. Ohler, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Dioscorea
- Dioscorea communisDioscoreaceae
- Water yamDioscorea alataDioscoreaceae
- Air yamDioscorea bulbiferaDioscoreaceae
- Chinese yamDioscorea polystachyaDioscoreaceae
- Chinese yamDioscorea oppositifoliaDioscoreaceae
- Japanese yamDioscorea japonicaDioscoreaceae
- Fiveleaf yamDioscorea pentaphyllaDioscoreaceae
- Wild yamDioscorea villosaDioscoreaceae
- YamDioscorea hispidaDioscoreaceae
- Elephant's foot yamDioscorea elephantipesDioscoreaceae
- Yellow guinea yamDioscorea cayennensisDioscoreaceae
- Indian yamDioscorea trifidaDioscoreaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.