Dioscorea sansibarensis Pax

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyaodza River bridge (northern end), Matiti Pool, near Kariba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Long Pool picnic view point, Mana Pools National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
At main office, Mana Pools National Park.

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Synonyms:	Dioscorea macroura Harms Dioscorea welwitschii Rendle
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Robust climber with annual stems up to 30 m long, growing from a large perennial tuber, up to 50 cm in diameter. Stems left-twining, hairless, usually unarmed; bulbils, up to 5.5 cm in diameter, often present in the axils. Leaves normally opposite. Mature leaves broadly heart-shaped up to 20 cm long including a long apical point, up to 6.3 cm long; hairless; margin entire, inrolled and thickened. Immature leaves much smaller and thinner, with 3-9 more or less deep lobes, particularly towards the base. Petiole 8-12(25) cm long, with a pair of fleshy oblong lateral nodal flanges, often almost entirely replacing the leaves near the base of older stems. Inflorescences in lax pendent, axillary spikes. Capsule up to 5 × 2.8 cm, blue-green, especially when young.
Notes:	Apparently rarely seen in flower.
Derivation of specific name:	sansibarensis: of Zanzibar; although the type specimen was in fact found near Bagamoyo, Tanzania, across from Zanzibar on the mainland.
Habitat:	Riverine forest, often close to water.
Altitude range: (metres)	200 - 650 m
Flowering time:	Feb - Apr
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in Subsaharan Africa and Madagascar.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N
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 2 December 2011
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 Pages 7 - 9. (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 97. (Includes a picture). Wilkin, P. (2009). Dioscoreaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 133 - 134.

Other sources of information about Dioscorea sansibarensis:

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Flora of Malawi: Dioscorea sansibarensis
Flora of Mozambique: Dioscorea sansibarensis
Flora of Zambia: Dioscorea sansibarensis

External websites:

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