Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Dioscoreales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dioscorea alata
FAMILY
Dioscoreaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dioscorea alata
FAMILY
Dioscoreaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Dioscorea alata
COMMON NAME:
Water Yam, White Yam, Great Yam, Winged Yam
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org bug_5126013
Month Unknown
Rough oblong aerial tubers at leaf axils resemble miniature potatoes, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).
)
Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org bug_5126028
Month Unknown
Leaf sides continuously convex (vs. D. polystachya's sides w a concave portion, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org bug_5126029
Month Unknown
Dies back in winter but able to cover small trees in a year, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).
)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5160048
Month Unknown
Stems twining clockwise, climbing up to 20m, broadly winged, 4-angular, per Flora of North America.
)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5163005
Month Unknown HI
Pistillate inflorescences solitary, 4-8(-20) flowered, 6-35cm, internodes ~1cm, per Flora of North America.
)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5163009
Month Unknown
Aerial tubers to 4" (10cm) long and 1.2" (3cm) wide, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dioscorea alata
FAMILY
Dioscoreaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dioscorea alata
FAMILY
Dioscoreaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Dioscorea alata
472
Herbaceous vine
Perennial
Dioecious
Habitat: Disturbed areas, in moist soils, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: southeast Asia
Rare in GA
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Southeast
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate or opposite
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish-white
6 tepals
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p062
- New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018) p061
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".