| Dioscorea trifida | |
|---|---|
| Dioscorea trifida | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Dioscoreales |
| Family: | Dioscoreaceae |
| Genus: | Dioscorea |
| Species: | D. trifida |
| Binomial name | |
| Dioscorea trifida L. |
|
The climbing perennial vine Dioscorea trifida is a species of yam native to the Caribbean and tropical Central and South America. It is known by a variety of common names, including Indian yam, napi, yampie or yampi, name mapuey, aja, cara doce, and cushcush. It is cultivated and eaten as a starchy root vegetable, but the similar food item cassava is utilized much more often.
The dioecious plant is a small tuber which sends out creeping stems with wings and large leaves. It has flowers and small winged fruits containing seeds. The plant may be grown in a similar manner as the potato. Like other Dioscorea species, D. trifida contains the distasteful toxic alkaloid dioscorene, which can be eliminated by cooking the tuber.