Dioscorea asteriscus Burkill

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Swanepoel Concession, Cheringoma

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Synonyms:	Dioscorea sativa sensu Rendle
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Hairless climber with left-twining, unarmed stems, growing from a short-lived, fleshy, spherical tuber, c. 10 cm in diameter. Bulbils usually present in axils, ovoid, 0.4 - 1 cm in diameter, lacking angles, dark purple or rarely red, yellow inside, tuberculate. Leaves alternate, entire, apex acuminate, up to 3 cm long but never thickened, flanges often present at petiole base as a pair of membranous projections which clasp stem, to c. 5 mm in diameter, usually pale green, sometimes translucent. Male inflorescences usually compound, flowers pedicellate, pointing outwards from the inflorescence axis; tepals recurved exposing the stamens, pale creamy green. Capsule oblong to oblong-elliptic in outline, 1.7 - 3 cm long.
Notes:	See D. bulbifera for comparison.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In forest and along forest margins, riverine forest and on termite mounds, on sandy or lateritic soils and sometimes in disturbed areas.
Altitude range: (metres)	500 - 1650 m
Flowering time:	Jan - Apr
Worldwide distribution:	Katanga DRC, CAR, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania,Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, northern Botswana and Caprivi Namibia.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Friday 29 December 2017
Literature:	Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 90. Milne-Redhead, E. (1975). Dioscoreaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Page 9. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 121. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 184. White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 96. Wilkin, P. (2001). Dioscoreaceae of South-Central Africa Kew Bulletin 56(2) Pages 375 - 376. (Includes a picture). Wilkin, P. (2009). Dioscoreaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 116 - 117. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Dioscorea asteriscus:

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Flora of Botswana: Dioscorea asteriscus
Flora of Caprivi: Dioscorea asteriscus
Flora of Malawi: Dioscorea asteriscus
Flora of Mozambique: Dioscorea asteriscus
Flora of Zambia: Dioscorea asteriscus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Dioscorea asteriscus
African Plant Database: Dioscorea asteriscus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Dioscorea asteriscus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Dioscorea asteriscus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Dioscorea asteriscus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Dioscorea asteriscus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Dioscorea asteriscus
JSTOR Plant Science: Dioscorea asteriscus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dioscorea asteriscus
Plants of the World Online: Dioscorea asteriscus
Tropicos: Dioscorea asteriscus
Wikipedia: Dioscorea asteriscus