Because it develops and propagates itself via small bulbils formed in the leaf axils, Purple Yam has become an invasive species in some Southern USA states. Dioscorea villosa (wild yam, colic-root): This native American yam is not edible, but contains several compounds of medical interests. Wild Yam can be readily distinguished from similar vines by the palmate venation of its leaves, its racemes or panicles of tiny flowers, and its conspicuous 3-angled seed capsules. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dioscorea villosa is a species of a twining tuberous vine that is native to eastern North America commonly known as wild yam, colic root, rheumatism root, devil's bones, and fourleaf yam. It grows wild from Rhode Island to Florida and Texas and has the characteristic highly ornamental heart-shaped leaves and vining habit. Aumsuwan P, Khan SI, Khan IA, et al. Of the 13 Dioscoreaspecies available in SBR, 10 species are known to be bitter in taste and unpalatable when taken raw. It is indeed Dioscorea villosa and in some areas it's completely covering the ground. Animal evidence suggests Dioscorea villosa can increase skin thickness after low-dose supplementation.
The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required).. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates. D. villosa roots are famine food and birth contol, best avoided For the record, among the semi-edibles yams one might see are: Dioscorea villosa, (vill-LOE-suh) whose roots might be a famine food but with a price.
---Description---There are upwards of 150 varieties of Dioscorea, many, like the potato, being edible.An Indo-Chinese species is used as a dye in Southern China. It is in flower from September to October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). 150 species. Dioscorea polystachya or Chinese yam (Chinese: 山 药), also called cinnamon-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family.It is sometimes called Chinese potato or by its Japanese name nagaimo.. Dioscorea polystachya NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Some species have edible fruit toxicity, leaves or tubers. Evaluation of wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) root extract as a potential epigenetic agent in breast cancer cells. Dioscorea villosa , the wild yam, is used as a source of topically applied cosmetics and plant-derived steroids.
Among these, only 12 are edible yam species, whereas other species are considered toxic or not used in phytotherapy.