Chinese yam

Chinese yam
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Dioscoreales
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Genus: Dioscorea
Species:
D. polystachya
Binomial name
Dioscorea polystachya
Synonyms[1]

Dioscorea polystachya or Chinese yam (simplified Chinese: 山药; traditional Chinese: 山藥), also called cinnamon-vine,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the yam family. It is sometimes called Chinese potato or by its Korean name ma.[3][2] It is also called huaishan in Mandarin and wàaih sāan in Cantonese.

It is a perennial climbing vine, native to East Asia.[3][4] The edible tubers are cultivated largely in East Asia and sometimes used in alternative medicine. This species of yam is unique as the tubers can be eaten raw.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Chinese yam". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Dioscorea polystachya". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference iccw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Raz, Lauren (2002). "Dioscorea polystachya". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. ^ Ting, Chih-chi; Gilbert, Michael G. "Dioscorea polystachya". Flora of China. Vol. 24 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.