Dioscorea cochleariapiculata

Botanical Description

Dioscorea cochleariapiculata is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant producing prickly stems up to 15 metres long from a tuberous rootstock. The stems scramble over the ground or twine into nearby plants for support, often trailing down from the tops of trees[ 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ]. The tubers, which are replaced annually, are usually 4 - 5 in number, depressed, globose, clustered, up to 10cm across[ 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ]. The tubers are sometimes gathered from the wild (most commonly only in times of food shortage) for local consumption.