Dioscorea villosa

Dioscoreaceae (Yam)

Native

Moderate moisture. Open woods, thickets, roadsides, river-bottom forests. Full or partial sun.

May to August

White to cream

Climbs up to 18′

This is a perennial, herbaceous vine that rises from slender, pale brown, knotty, woody cylindrical rhizomes. It is usually found trailing over adjacent shrubs and bushes.

The stems are slender, rarely branched, usually hairless and climb up to 18′, twining counterclockwise.

The leaves are alternate, though the lowest leaves may appear whorled. They are untoothed, 2″ to 4″ long, 1″ to 4″ wide, heart-shaped, with convex sides. They gradually taper to a sharp point with concave sides along the tip. They are deeply cleft at the base where they attach to a long, slender leaf stalk. They have 9 to 11 (rarely 7) prominent veins and netted lateral veins. The upper surface is smooth and shiny. The underside is downy.

Male and female flowers are not borne on the same plant. The female inflorescence is a solitary, 2″ to 4″ long, drooping spike-like head borne in a leaf axil. The male inflorescence is a solitary, widely branched, 3″ to 6″ long, drooping cluster of 1 to 4 male flowers per node. The flowers are 3 to 6 parted and ⅛″ wide.

The fruit is a greenish-gold, 3-winged capsule with wide, winged seeds.

Southeast, metro, and central