| Dioscorea communis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Dioscoreales |
| Family: | Dioscoreaceae |
| Genus: | Dioscorea |
| Species: | D. communis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dioscorea communis (L.) Caddick & Wilkin |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Tamus communis (L.) |
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Dioscorea communis (sometimes placed in the segregate Tamus) is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae and is commonly known as Black Bryony.
Contents |
It is a climbing herbaceous plant growing to 2-4 m tall, with twining stems. The leaves are spirally arranged, heart-shaped, up to 10 cm long and 8 cm broad, with a petiole up to 5 cm long. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The flowers are individually inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, 3-6 mm diameter, with six petals; the male flowers produced in slender 5-10 cm racemes, the female flowers in shorter clusters. The fruit is a bright red berry, 1 cm diameter. Its fairly large tuber is, like the rest of the plant, poisonous.
Dioscorea communis is a native spontaneous species widespread throughout Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia.
It is a typical plant of the underwood, from the sea to the mountains, usually in dense woods, but it can also be found in meadows and hedges.
Media related to Dioscorea communis at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Dioscorea communis at Wikispecies