Dioscorea Collection

Edible tubers, Tubercules alimentaires. Purple woodsorrel, Oxalis purpurea, Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, papalisa or olluco, Ullucus tuberosus, yamaimo or mountain yam

Chinese yam or cinnamon-vine, Dioscorea polystachya, Dioscorea batatas, Igname de Chine, Handcoloured steel engraving by Oudet after a botanical illustration by Edouard Maubert from Pierre Oscar

Black bryony, Dioscorea communis (Tamus communis). Handcoloured copperplate engraving after an illustration by Richard Duppa from his The Classes and Orders of the Linnaean System of Botany, Longman

Yam or cinnamon-leaved dioscorea, Dioscorea cinnamonifolia. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Swan after an illustration by William Jackson Hooker from Samuel Curtis Botanical Magazine, London

Elephants foot, Dioscorea elephantipes (Female cape bryony, Tamus elephantipes faemina). Handcoloured copperplate engraving by F

Yam (Dioscorea Sativa)
Antique illustration of Yam (Dioscorea Sativa)

Ripe red fruit of black bryony, Dioscorea communis, a poinous medicinal plant of hedgerows, Berkshire, England, September

Rhizome and tincture from Dioscorea villosa, sliced rhizome from Dioscorea opposita (Shan yao), and sliced rhizome from Dioscorea hypoglauca (Bei xie), types of Yam

Dioscorea decaisneana, yam
Illustration from the Botany Library Plate Collection held at the Natural History Museum, London

Plants used as food
Illustration of arrowroot, manioc or cassava, yam and sweet potato. Plate 9 from Vegetable Kingdom 1872, by William Rhind

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, elephant foot yam
Plate 1110 from the Fleming Indian Drawings Collection, c. 1795-1805. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Dioscorea villosa, wild yam
Illustration from the Botany Library Plate Collection held at the Natural History Museum, London

Vigna lanceolata, pencil yam
Finished watercolour by Fred Polydore Nodder from an original outine drawing by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage across the Pacific, 1768-1771

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"Dioscorea: A Diverse World of Edible Tubers and Nutritious Delights" Dioscorea, commonly known as yam, encompasses a fascinating array of edible tubers that have been cherished for centuries across different cultures. From the Chinese yam or cinnamon-vine (Dioscorea polystachya) to the black bryony (Dioscorea communis), this versatile plant family offers an abundance of culinary possibilities. One captivating member is the yam or cinnamon-leaved dioscorea (Dioscorea cinnamonifolia), with its distinctive aroma and flavor that adds depth to various dishes. Another intriguing variety is the elephants foot (Dioscorea elephantipes), which boasts peculiarly shaped tubers resembling an elephant's foot. In addition to these unique species, it also includes other plants like Crescentia cujete, Sesamum indicum, Bombax ceiba, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Theobroma cacao, Citrus decumana, Arum esculentum, Zea mays, Artocarpus incisa, Amaranthus sanguineus Jatropha manihot Cocos nucifera Cucurbitapepo Ricinus communis Dioscoreasa - all contributing their own distinct flavors and textures when incorporated into culinary creations. The ripe red fruit of black bryony (Dioscoreacommunis) serves as a cautionary reminder; while it may be visually appealing in hedgerows across Berkshire in England, it is indeed a poisonous medicinal plant best left untouched by untrained hands. Various types of Yam such as Rhizome and tincture from Dioscoria villosasliced rhizome from Dioscoria opposita (Shan yao), and sliced rhizome from Dioscori hypoglauca (Bei xie) are also cherished for their culinary and medicinal properties.