air-potato |
Plants: Vines |
|
Liliopsida > Dioscoreales > Dioscoreaceae > Dioscorea bulbifera L. |
| Synonym(s): air potato, air potato, bitter yam, air-potato, air yam |
| Air potato is an herbaceous, twining vine that can grow to lengths exceeding 60 ft. (18 m). It invades open areas in the sub-tropical southeastern United States. The leaves are alternate, 8 in. (20.3 cm) long, broadly-heart shaped with prominent veins that resemble greenbrier leaves. The rounded stems are thin and wiry. The chief means of reproduction are aerial, potato-like tubers (bulbils) located at the leaf axils. The vine rarely flowers. Air potato can form dense masses of vines that cover and kill native vegetation including trees within a variety of habitats such as forest edges, hammocks, and many disturbed areas. It was introduced from Africa for food and medicinal purposes in the early 1900s. Air potato is a common and widespread food crop throughout most tropical regions of the world. |
| Image |
Descriptor |
Description |
Photographer |
| 0016104 |
Feature(s) |
Bulbils (aerial tubers) and alternate foliage in September |
Fred Nation |
| 0016108 |
Feature(s) |
Dormant aspect with bulbil in March |
James H. Miller |
| 0016109 |
Feature(s) |
Bulbils (aerial tubers) in October |
Roger Hammer |
| 2132018 |
Feature(s) |
Air bulbils in December |
James H. Miller |
| 5344014 |
Feature(s) |
bulbils |
Karen Brown |
| 5392116 |
Feature(s) |
Aerial bulbil |
John M. Randall |
| 9005052 |
Feature(s) |
bulbils in December |
James H. Miller |
| 5344015 |
Flower(s) |
|
Karen Brown |
| 5344016 |
Foliage |
|
Karen Brown |
| 5297062 |
Foliage |
leaves |
Forest & Kim Starr |
| 9005055 |
Foliage |
in July |
James H. Miller |
| 1148133 |
Foliage |
|
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive |
| 1461076 |
Foliage |
|
Amy Ferriter |
| 1148131 |
Foliage |
|
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive |
| 0016105 |
Foliage |
in July |
Fred Nation |
| 0016106 |
Foliage |
immature bulbils and leaves in July |
Fred Nation |
| 1148132 |
Fruit(s) |
|
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive |
| 0016107 |
Infestation |
under a forest stand in July |
Fred Nation |
| 1486023 |
Infestation |
|
Dan Clark |
| 1148134 |
Infestation |
|
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive |
| 1461075 |
Infestation |
|
Amy Ferriter |
| 5289083 |
Infestation |
|
Division of Plant Industry Archive |
| 5391623 |
Infestation |
|
Barry Rice |
| 5391624 |
Infestation |
|
Barry Rice |
| 5392117 |
Infestation |
|
John M. Randall |
| 9005053 |
Plant(s) |
in December |
James H. Miller |
| 9005054 |
Plant(s) |
in July |
James H. Miller |
| 5392115 |
Plant(s) |
A climbing plant |
John M. Randall |
| 5160065 |
Plant(s) |
habit |
Forest & Kim Starr |
| 5160075 |
Plant(s) |
habit |
Forest & Kim Starr |
| 1461074 |
Plant(s) |
|
Amy Ferriter |
|
