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Five Leaf Yam
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Five Leaf Yam
ative Photo: Prashant Awale
Common name: Five Leaf Yam, Mountain yam, Wild yam, Prickly yam • Adi: Uli • Assamese: পাচ পতীয়া আলু Pach Patia Alu • Bengali: কাঁটা আলু Kanta Alu • Gujarati: નાનો જંગલી કંદ Nano Jungli Kand, વજનું કંદ Vajnu Kand, વેણી વેલ Veni Vel • Hindi: कांटा आलू Kanta Alu, फल आलू Phal Alu • Kannada: ಕಾಡು ಗುಂಬಳ Kaadu Gumbala • Khasi: Phan Kyrsiew • Konkani: तीळ करंदी Til Karandi • Malayalam: കാട്ടുകിഴങ്ങ് Kattukizhangu, മരക്കിഴങ്ങ് Marakkizhangu, നല്ലനൂറ Nallanura, നൂറകിഴങ്ങ് Noorakizhangu • Manipuri: ꯍꯥ ꯑꯉꯧꯕꯥ Ha Angouba • Marathi: गाबोळी Gaaboli, मुंडावळया Mundavalya, शॆंडवेल Shendvel • Nepali: रानी भ्याकुर Raanee Bhyaakur, मिठे तरुल Mithe Tarul, जगल्टे भ्याकुर Jagalte Bhyakur • Odia: କଣ୍ଟାଆଳୁ Kontaalu • Sanskrit: कण्टकालुक Kantakaluka • Tamil: காட்டுவள்ளி Kattu-Valli, நூறை Nurai • Telugu: అడవి గినుసు తీగ Adavi Ginusu Tiga, అడవి గుమ్మడి తీగ Adavi Gummadi Tiga, చెంచు గడ్డ Chenchu Gadda, దుక్క పెండలము Dukka Pendalamu, కారుచెంబ Kaaruchemba, మొయ్యాక్కు పెండలము Moyyakku Pendalamu, ముళ్ల పెండలము Mullu Pendalamu, నూలు దుంప Nulu Dumpa, పంది గడ్డ Pandi Gadda, పంది ముక్కు దుంప Pandi Mukku Dumpa • Tulu: ಕಾಟ್ಟು ಕುಂಬುಡ Kattu Kumbuda • Mizo: Vawkpui-Bahra Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Dioscorea pentaphylla    Family: Dioscoreaceae (Yam family)
Synonyms: Dioscorea triphylla
Five Leaf Yam is climbing plant, with compound leaves. Tubers are irregular, usually long ovoid, transverse section white when fresh, becoming brown, roots fibrous. Leaves are alternately arranged on the twining stems. The leaves are palmately divided into 3-5 leaflets, hence the common name. Male flower spikes occur in panicles up to 50 cm, often with long, lateral branches. Male flowers are nearly stalkless, bracts are kidney-shaped, forming an involucre around the flower. Female spikes are simple or branched, brown hairy. Female flowers have bracts, flowers, and ovary hairy. Capsule are black at maturity, long ellipsoid, 2-2.5 cm, thinly leathery, sparsely hairy, wings 0.5--0.6 cm wide. In India, this yam is common in jungles. Locals dig the tubers to eat. Male flowers are sold in the bazaars and eaten as greens. Flowering: August-October.
Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed at Pateshwar, near Satara, Maharashtra & Morni Hills, Haryana.
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