20 Dioscorea sylvatica Seeds

Dioscorea sylvatica Seeds

Family : Dioscoreaceae
Dioscorea sylvatica is another beautiful, weird and wonderful, caudiciform plant. It looks like D. elephantipes, but is smaller and the surface of the caudex is smoother. It makes a most interesting container plant.

Dioscorea sylvatica is summer deciduous and is a perennial geophytic climber. In summer the leafless plant conserves energy by dropping its leaves in October, just before the onset of the summer heat. Flowers are small and white and normally appear in May or June.

Dioscorea sylvatica will live for approx. 70 years in cultivation, if it is looked after correctly. Remember it drops its leaves in late November. Do not over-water during the summer months, as this will shorten its life span by at least half. Dioscorea hemicrypta needs a rest period. In its natural environment it rests during the hot dry summer. Dioscorea sylvatica grows in the winter and the spring months.

It is believed the Khoisan used to bake the starchy, bread-like trunk which was used as a food source. This is one of the members in the genus Dioscorea that are used to extract steriodal saponins which are used to produce cortisone and and contraceptives. This species have been over-harvested for testing purposes.
The beauty of Dioscorea sylvatica lies in its beautiful above-ground caudex and twining heart shaped leaves.

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