Dioscorea bulbifera

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Dioscorea bulbifera

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Dioscoreales
Family:	Dioscoreaceae
Genus:	Dioscorea
Species:	D. bulbifera

Binomial name

Dioscorea bulbifera
L.

Dioscorea bulbifera (the air potato) is a yam species. It is also known as Varahi in Sanskrit and Dukkar Kand in Marathi. It is a perennial vine with broad leaves and two types of storage organs. The plant forms bulbils in the leaf axils of the twining stems, and tubers beneath the ground. These tubers are like small, oblong potatoes, and they are edible and cultivated as a food crop, especially in West Africa. The tubers often have a bitter taste, which can be removed by boiling. They can then be prepared in the same way as other yams, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The air potato is one of the most widely-consumed yam species.

It is important to note that uncultivated forms, such as those found growing wild in Florida can be poisonous. These varieties contain the steroid, diosgenin, which is a principal material used in the manufacture of a number of synthetic steroidal hormones, such as those used in birth-control pills.^[1] Air potato has been used as a folk remedy to treat conjunctivitis, diarrhea and dysentery, among other ailments.^[2]

The air potato plant is native to Africa and Asia.^[3] In some places, such as Florida, it is an invasive species because of its quick-growing, large-leafed vine that spreads tenaciously and shades out any plants growing beneath it. The bulbils on the vines sprout and become new vines, twisting around each other to form a thick mat. If the plant is cut to the ground, the tubers can survive for extended periods and send up new shoots later.