DIOSCOREA TRIFIDA - NAPI
Common name
Cush-cush, napi, yampee, Indian yam, cara doce, Indian yam, mapuey.
Family
Dioscoreaceae (Yam family).
This is a tropical perennial vine that produces edible tubes.
The stems have two - to eight wings per stem, serving as an external support for these stems and helping them climb.
The sharply divided leaves are large; light to dark green. Male - and female flowers are on the same plant. The
small winged fruits are non - edible and have a seed in each wing.
This is a cultivated yam species from tropical America with a very good flavor.
Medicinal applications
Discorea species are the source of the phytochemicals, steroidol-sapogenins. These include
diosgenin; of all the steroidal drugs on the market more than 90% are derived from diosgenin as a raw material and used
in oral contraceptives. Diosgenin is much similar to the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Cortisone and hydrocortisone (used for treatment of allergic reactions and for reducing of inflammation due to arthritis)
are also derived from diosgenin.
Hardiness
USDA zone 9 B - 11.
Propagation
Seeds, rhizomes and bulbs.
Culture
Full sun, sandy loam soil. Plant in frost free areas. It can also be grown as an ornamental
in the sub - tropics. |