Dioscorea: types, features of cultivation and reproduction. The original plant Dioscorea Just so you know

Native to South Africa, Dioscorea verifiosa is a graceful perennial vine. The length of the plant reaches 5 m, its stem is somewhat angular in shape and completely bare. The thin shoot climbs counterclockwise and is characterized by sinuous branches.

The opposite, heart-shaped leaves are of decorative interest due to their unusual color. The leaf blade is painted in a purple-green or olive-green color with light silver-gray paths along the veins. In autumn, the foliage takes on a golden color.

In home culture, the plant blooms with small greenish flowers collected in a loose inflorescence. Dioscorea versicolor is a relatively compact species. To give the vine an unusual shape, you can stick a small trellis or a ring of thin wire into the ground. Representatives of the species gradually wrap around this entire support, and over time, the green-covered structure looks especially interesting. It is relatively miniature and easy to transport. This look will be a spectacular decoration of any interior.

The content of the article:

Dioscorea is a plant belonging to the Dioscoreaceae family, which also includes about 600 other species. For their growth, these representatives of the flora chose tropical and subtropical regions of the planet, but several of the varieties can be found in warm areas where temperate temperatures prevail. climatic conditions. This example of the green world received its name thanks to the name of the Greek military doctor, pharmacologist and naturalist Dioscorides, who lived in the 40-90s of our era. He became famous for being revered as one of the founders of such sciences as botany and pharmacognosy. Also under his authorship there is a scientific work, which contains the most significant and complete collection of recipes with descriptions medicines, which has survived to this day and bears the name “De Materia Medica”.

So, Dioscorea is a perennial with a liana-like herbaceous growth form. The length of its stems can vary in the range of 2–12 meters. It has large rhizomes and tubers. The shape of the rhizomes is compact, thick, with tuberous thickenings; at the break, the inside has a yellow tint.

The leaf blades are entire, at the base they can take on a heart-shaped shape, petiolate. Their arrangement depends on the variety: it can be spiral; next; until the middle of the stem from the root is whorled, and then the sequence becomes regular. The leaf dimensions reach 12 cm. Sometimes the plate is divided into blades, and there may be pubescence on the reverse side. Color - rich green.

The flowering process occurs in May-June. At the same time, little decorative flowers appear. They can be located singly or collected in inflorescences, since Dioscorea is a dioecious plant, then male buds form spike-shaped inflorescences, and female ones gather in racemose outlines. The color of the flower's petals is pale greenish or greenish-yellow, there are 6 of them.

After flowering, the fruit begins to ripen in the form of a berry or a three-nest box. The seeds have volatilities that allow them to be transported by wind over considerable distances. This can be either one wing or “wings” on two or more sides.

Tubers of one of the species of Dioscorea, called yams, are an important agricultural crop in countries where climatic conditions allow the cultivation of this plant. Yam tubers can reach 15 kg. Many of them are poisonous when consumed raw, but when cooked, all the toxic compounds in them decompose and are not harmful to humans. Yams are most revered as a food product in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Growing and caring for Dioscorea at home

1. Lighting. The plant feels great in diffused light and therefore a western orientation is suitable for it.
2. Content temperature for this vine in summer time should be maintained in the range of 20–23 degrees, and with the arrival of autumn drop to 13. When grown in open ground, you will need to cover it with agrofibre for the winter, but before that, mulch the soil with fallen leaves.
3. Humidity does not play a big role when growing this vine.
4. Watering. This condition is the most demanding in caring for Dioscorea. The soil should always be kept moist, but it is important not to allow moisture to stagnate in the pot. In summer, the frequency and volume of moistening become higher, especially at elevated temperatures.
5. Dioscorea fertilizers. Fertilizing will only be required during the growing season. Liquid organic preparations are used, with the dosage specified by the manufacturer. The regularity of fertilizers is once every 14 days.
6. Transplantation and choice of substrate. In the spring, when Dioscorea has not yet begun to develop, the pot and soil in it are changed. The frequency of these transplants is once a year. It was noticed that the vine showed the best growth when the container was small and the roots became cramped. Therefore, only 2–3 cm of soil in the pot can be replaced. A layer of drainage material is placed on the bottom. The substrate selected is light, loose and nutritious (rich in organic matter). When transplanting vines, mix heather soil, humus, river sand and crushed pine bark; the parts of all components must be equal.

You can get a new plant by dividing the rhizome of the mother vine or by sowing seed material.

When propagating by seed, universal soil is poured into the container, mixed in half with perlite. If you want to achieve greater germination, then use peat tablets or peat-sand substrate. The seeding depth is 1 cm. The container is covered with a piece of glass or a plastic bag and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 24–25 degrees. Moistening is carried out as the soil dries. It is important not to forget to ventilate the crops. After 3–4 weeks, the first shoots will appear. But it happens that germination was delayed for a longer period, which sometimes reached 6–9 months - this was explained by incorrect conditions during reproduction. It is necessary to illuminate the seedlings with lamps daylight so that the plant does not stretch too much. When a pair of leaves appears on young dioscoreas, they are transplanted into permanent pots with a selected substrate.

If the vine is transplanted at home growing, then you can divide the rhizome of the mother plant. Use a sharp knife to cut root system, into smaller parts and plant the divisions in separate containers with selected soil; the volume of the pots should correspond to the size of the rhizome with shoots.

Difficulties in the process of growing Dioscorea

Dioscorea is very disease resistant and is rarely attacked by pests, probably because the plant's leaves contain bitter alkaloids such as diosgenin. But if the maintenance conditions are violated (humidity decreases), then spider mite damage may occur. In this case, it will be necessary to treat with insecticidal preparations.

The most effective will be the rhizomes of vines that have reached 25 years of age. They are collected in spring or autumn, before the first frost. The shelf life of such raw materials can reach 3 years. Based on Dioscorea, herbalists and homeopaths make decoctions and tinctures that promote immunomodulation, have a calming, diuretic, and choleretic effect, and help overall strengthen the body. The rhizomes of some varieties are used to produce hormonal drugs such as cortisone and birth control.

Yam is the main food crop for more than half a billion people, which indicates its high importance in the life of mankind.

If the Elephant Foot species is cared for without violating the conditions, it can reach the 70-year mark.

Types of Dioscorea

Caucasian Dioscorea (Dioscorea caucasica) is a herbaceous vine that has a long life span and can reach a length of 2–3 m. There is a thick, long rhizome with branching, located in a horizontal plane. The leaf blades grow up to 6–15 cm in length. The shape of the leaf can be heart-shaped, ovate-cordate or oval, there is a point at both ends, the lower surface is pubescent. The leaves are attached to the stem by petioles; there is a slight notch along the edge. There are arcuate veins along the surface, their number varies between 9–13 units. The leaves in the lower part are arranged in whorls, and towards the upper part their arrangement becomes regular. When flowering, small flowers are formed (the maximum diameter is 3–4 mm), with green-colored petals, unisexual and dioecious. From them, inflorescences of racemose shapes are collected if the bud is female or spikelet-shaped if it is male. The flowering process occurs in late spring and early summer. In September, the fruits ripen in the shape of a triangular box; their diameter varies within 2.5–3 cm. The seeds have wing-shaped formations - flies, through which the plant can reproduce. This species is endemic (not found anywhere else except certain territories) of Abkhazia and the lands of the Adler region of the Krasnodar Territory. Likes to settle in dry oak or oak-hornbeam forests, and can be found in bush thickets and rocky outcrops. It mainly grows on carbonate soils. Since this representative of the flora is listed in the Red Book, measures have been taken to cultivate it.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) denotes the name of several varieties of plants, which are generalized into a general group and are representatives of Dioscorea. Its tubers can reach 2.5 m in length, and their weight is measured at 70 kg. Suitable for food due to its high starch content. The native habitat is in the lands of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the island territories of Oceania, where the tropical and subtropical climate reigns supreme.

The root system of yam has a fibrous appearance and has wide branching. The resulting stem is thin and has a ribbed surface, can curl or lie down, and reaches a length of 3 meters. The leaf blades are simple, attached by petioles to the stem, about 12 cm long and often with spines at the base. At the base of the stem, the leaves are arranged oppositely, and from the middle they grow in the next sequence. The shape of the leaf is round, pointed at the apex, and heart-shaped at the base. Its diameter can vary between 5–6 cm.

There are practically no flowers, there is no generative reproduction.

Stolons, which are called side shoots, are often formed either in the root collar area of ​​yams or in the underground part of the stem. The number of these formations on a plant can vary from 4 to 20 units, their length varies from 5 cm to half a meter. It is because of the length that the varietal division of yams occurs, since there are short, medium-density, loose-bush or spreading types. At the ends of these stolons, a thickening forms, which takes on tuberous outlines - this is what this plant is cultivated for. The shape of the tuber is rounded, elongated oval, or in the form of a spindle. The surface of the tuber is smooth, but sometimes it may have slight cracks. The color of the thin peel is whitish, pinkish or purple. Underneath there is white or yellowish flesh. If the tubers are small, then yams are propagated with their help.

This plant is rich in vitamin C, and also contains potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamin B6. There are many varieties of this variety.

Cinnamon vine (Dioscorea batatas) gets its name because the aroma of its flowers reminds people very much of the smell of cinnamon, not just its rhizome, which is edible. When growing, this liana-like plant forms an aerial bulb that has a pleasant taste with nutty notes. Also, this representative of the Discoreine family is actively used in eastern folk medicine because of its medicinal properties, and the juice can help with snake or scorpion bites.

Elephant foot (Dioscorea elehpantipes). At its lower trunk, this vine-like plant is wide and covered with bark divided into segments with geometric outlines. When Dioscorea is young, the surface of its trunk resembles a tortoiseshell, and over time its appearance becomes similar to the lower part of the limbs of an elephant. If times of famine come, the local African tribes, namely the Hottentots, eat this variety for food.

Common Dioscorea (Dioscorea communis) has the synonymous name Thamus vulgaris, and is popularly called: Adam's root, watergon, lepshura, as well as inaccessibility, fiery root, stepover or greasy root. It is a herbaceous dioecious vine with a perennial cycle. It has a fleshy root with taproot contours. The leaf plates are arranged in the next sequence. Their outlines are very similar to the leaves of the Caucasian variety of Dioscorea, but on the lower surface they are devoid of pubescence.

The flowering process occurs at the end of spring and during it flowers appear with yellowish-whitish perianths and different sexes. Racemose inflorescences are collected from them. The ripening fruits resemble red berries. The fruiting process takes place from July to mid-autumn.

The plant considers its native habitats to be the territories of Southern and Western Europe, the lands of North Africa, and is also found in southwest Asia and in Russian regions, namely in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Most often it is found in the lower tier of forests located in the mountains. The roots contain saponins and glycosides. Usually in Caucasian folk medicine, drugs based on this variety are used in the treatment of rheumatism and sciatica. When young roots are collected, they are boiled and eaten, but if the amount of the product is higher than normal, it can easily cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Dioscorea nipponica, like other varieties, has a liana-like and herbaceous growth form. It can “live” for many years, reaching 5 meters in length. Found in the lands of the Far East. The plant is dioecious, with a horizontal rhizome that can approach a length of 2 meters, while its diameter measures 3 cm, the root shoots are thin and rigid. The stems are twining, their surface is bare, herbaceous in appearance. The leaves are attached to the stem through the petiole in the next sequence. Their outlines are broadly ovoid, divided into 3–7 lobes.

When flowering, unisexual buds with a pale green color appear. If the flower is staminate, it develops on a male plant and from such buds racemose inflorescences are collected, originating in the leaf axils. When the flower is pistillate and grows on a female vine, the formed inflorescences take the form of a simple brush. The fruits are presented in a box with three nests.

This plant often chooses areas with broad-leaved forests for its “place of residence” and can “settle” on the edges of cedar-broad-leaved forests; it is also found along the valleys of river arteries, located in dense thickets of wormwood and shrubs, mainly in the Primorsky Territory, as well as in the southern regions of the Khabarovsk Territory and the southeastern lands of the Amur Region.

The rhizome of this variety is of interest to herbalists and homeopaths; it is also an important product for the medicinal industry. Since it contains up to 80% steroidal saponins and derivatives of substances such as diosgenin (the most important of which is dioscin). It is on the basis of diosgenin that hormonal drugs - cortisone and progesterone - are produced.

More about growing Dioscorea in this video.

This spectacular vine, belonging to the Dioscorea family, is interesting not only for its decorative properties. She happens to be medicinal plant and is valued as an agricultural crop.

Origin of the name

The plant is named after the Greek naturalist and physician Dioscoreus. Along with the official one, there are other, no less common, names. For example, yam or wild yam.

Where is it found?

The genus unites plants of the subtropics and tropics, and only a few of them grow in warm temperate zones. Today Dioscorea is a rare and therefore protected plant, listed in the Red Book.

Application

Dioscorea has medicinal properties and is widely used in pharmacology. Preparations prepared from the rhizomes of vines that are over 25 years old have the greatest therapeutic effect. Decoctions and infusions prepared from tubers have a powerful tonic, immunostimulating, urinary, choleretic, and sedative effect.

Residents of Africa and Asia have long used the fleshy tubers of vines as food. In these regions, some species of Dioscorea grown asvaluable agricultural crop .

Many types of plants are decorative and are cultivated both in open ground and indoors.

Description

Dioscorea is a perennial vine that grows several (from 2 to 12) meters in length. Most representatives of the species have herbaceous shoots, but woody forms are also found.

All of them are united by a spectacular appearance: vines cover the ground with a thick carpet or rush up the support.

The shoots of vines are covered with whole, petiolate, different shades of green, lobed or articulated leaves with a heart-shaped base. They differ in shape and location on the shoot:

• in the upper third of the stem leaf blades pointed and opposite;
• at the bottom - heart-shaped or oval, whorled.

Underground part A vine is a rhizome consisting of one or more fleshy tubers.

Dioscorea blooms in spring. However, this event is not particularly noteworthy. The buds are small and inconspicuous. The flowers are solitary or collected in small inflorescences of different shapes: spike, raceme or semi-umbrella.

The corollas of the flowers consist of 6 petals, painted in greenish-yellow tones.

Kinds

The genus includes about 600 plant species. Those that we managed to acquire are grown in gardens and indoors.

Dioscorea caucasica

Found in Krasnodar region(Adler region) and Abkhazia, on rocky soils, preferring mountain slopes and thickets of wormwood and bushes. This is an endemic species listed in the Red Book. In order to restore numbers, the species is cultivated.

Dioscorea opposite

It is distinguished by:

• long, up to 10 m, twisted or angular shoots;
• nodules located in the axils of leaves;
• light flowers, collected in racemes and having a pleasant smell, similar to the aroma of cinnamon.

The roots and leaves of this vine are used as medicinal.

Dioscorea nipponensis

It grows in East Asia and the Primorsky Territory, China and Japan and is characterized by:

• thick horizontal rhizome;
• long (up to 4 m) bare shoots with alternately arranged heart-shaped or lobed leaves.

Dioscorea ivory

This species grows in South Africa and is rightfully considered exotic. Its uniqueness lies in the presence of a ground caudex, which has a spherical shape and is covered with cork growths in the shape of polygons.

Long curly shoots grow from the top of the caudex, bearing heart-shaped leaves with rounded lobes

The thickening is often of impressive size, growing to record-giant sizes: 3 m in height, 1 m in diameter and weighing 400 kg.

The pulp of the caudex contains a large amount of starch. It is edible and tastes like turnips.

This type is not used in medicinal purposes, but is valued as exotic ornamental plant.

Dioscorea batatas (sweet potato)

This vine is distinguished by creeping, pubescent shoots that stretch up to one and a half meters. They are decorated with bright glossy green leaves and blue flowers developing in the axils of the leaves.

Growing

Lighting requirements and location

Dioscorea is photophilous, but prefers diffused light rather than direct sunlight, which can cause leaf burns. It grows slowly in the shade. The optimal location for the vine would be west side area or room.

Air temperature

Dioscorea is not only light-loving, but also thermophilic. In summer, the vine is comfortable at temperatures above 25 °C. In winter, she prefers coolness - no more than 10 °C.

When grown in open ground for the winter, Dioscorea is covered after mulching the soil with fallen leaves.

Humidity and watering

Air humidity is not significant for the plant, but the vine is demanding regarding the condition of the soil. It must be constantly moisturized. This can only be achieved by frequent and not abundant watering.

The soil

Dioscorea grows well in light, nutritious soils enriched with organic matter. When grown in room conditions you should give preference to a mixture consisting of equal parts of humus, sand, heather soil and pine bark.

Top dressing

In spring and summer, every two weeks, the plant is fed with universal liquid organic fertilizer.

Rest period

In the fall, after shortening the shoots that are too long, the vine tubers are removed from the ground and stored in a dark and cool place. In the spring they are replanted. Houseplants You can also send it to rest, right in the pot.

Transfer

Once a year, in the spring, on the eve of the active growing season, Dioscorea needs to be replanted, completely replacing the soil. It is not necessary to change the container: the roots of this plant develop better in close quarters.

Reproduction

Dioscorea can be propagated vegetatively: by dividing rhizomes or shoots.

1. It is convenient to divide the rhizome during plant transplantation, placing each resulting section in a container corresponding to its size.
2. In spring, you can separate the shoots coming from the tubers. They are rooted in water and then planted in open ground or pots.

Dioscorea also reproduces by seeds. This method is more labor-intensive, including the purchase of seed:

1. Soil: any universal composition of soil mixed with perlite will do.
2. The seeds are placed on the surface of the soil, deepened by 1 cm.
3. Greenhouse conditions are created for the crops: 25°C heat with periodic slight soil moisture. After 3 weeks, the first shoots will appear. They need lighting, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out excessively.
4. Strong young vines are planted in separate pots.

Diseases and pests

Dioscorea is disease resistant. Of the pests, the vine is threatened only by the spider mite, which develops in very dry air conditions.

Dioscorea can decorate any plant collection. Being a long-liver, it will delight you for decades.

Dioscorea is a genus of plants that belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family. In nature they grow in the tropical zone of all continents, individual species found in warm temperate regions. The genus was named after the Greek botanist and physician Dioscorides.

Description

Dioscorea are perennial herbaceous vines. The underground part of the plant consists of a rhizome, which can unite one or more tubers covered with thin roots. The stems of old shoots, as a rule, twine to the left or to the right (in different types), rarely erect or creeping, often with spines at the base. Nodules develop in the axils of the leaves of some plant species. Young reproductive shoots may be pubescent.

Leaves are opposite, alternate, entire, lobed or articulated. Their base is often heart-shaped. The veins running from the point of articulation with the stem diverge across the width of the leaf, then gather towards the apex. The plants are dioecious, but vestigial male and female parts may be present on the same plant. Inflorescences are simple or complex, usually drooping, spike-shaped or racemose, male and female flowers are inconspicuous, small, single or paired.

The fruit is usually a dry three-lobed capsule, dry and opening when ripe, rarely fleshy berries. Each nest contains 1-6 flat seeds with one or more wings.

The structure of the village of Kavkazskaya

Popular types

More than 600 species have been described in the genus. The following are recommended for cultivation in the central part of the country.

D. caucasian(D. сaucasica) – relict plants native to Western Transcaucasia. They grow on the edges of forests, clearings, among thickets of other shrubs, as they have poor competitiveness due to low root growth - up to 7 cm per year. Perennial vines With thin stems, with the help of support they can reach up to 4 m. The rhizome is thick, located horizontally, with many dormant buds.

Lower leaves d. Caucasian matte, whorled, with a relief pattern of veins, oval-heart-shaped, and the upper ones are located opposite, sit on long petioles, pointed towards the apex, with a slightly notched edge.

Male flowers are small, yellow-green, inconspicuous, bell-shaped and form simple or weakly branched spikes. The female flowers, similar in size and color, are arranged in simple spikes or racemes.

Dioscorea caucasica

The fruit of D. Caucasian is a three-lobed dry capsule with three membranous, oval wings. Plants of this type of Dioscorea bloom in late May-July, and bear fruit in late summer or early autumn. Winter-hardy species in the middle zone.

The rhizomes of D. Caucasica contain the highest percentage of saponins among other representatives of the genus - steroid glycosides with a wide range of bioactivity, on the basis of which the phytoestrogen diosgenin is obtained. In traditional medicine, diosgenin-based drugs are prescribed to women for the synthesis of progesterone; they are also successfully used to treat atherosclerosis due to the ability of saponins to bind cholesterol.

Leaves and fruits of D. Caucasian

D. nipponica(D. nipponica) - grows naturally in mixed forests in the warm temperature zone of China, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. The rhizome is horizontal, branched, cylindrical, more than 1.5 cm thick. The trunk is braided to the left, bare, green or reddish-brown. Leaves are alternate, simple; petioles 10-20 cm; the leaf blades are shiny, green, very variable in shape - from wide heart-shaped to palmately uneven, 3-7-lobed, pointed at the apex.

D. balkanskaya(D. balcanica) is the only species of the genus Dioscorea found on the Balkan Peninsula, where it is endemic. In nature it is endangered and protected. Height is up to 2 m, in nature - up to 5 m. In winter, the stems of Balkanskaya die off, but in the spring young shoots develop.

Yam tubers

Yam is the general name for some species of Dioscorea native to Africa and Asia, which are agricultural crops in their homeland and are grown for their fleshy tubers. Cultivated varieties have undergone significant selection, since wild yam is bitter. Tubers of all types of yams contain toxic substances that are destroyed during heat treatment.

In most regions of our country, yams do not grow, as they require heat and have a long growing season. However, the experiments of diligent gardeners can be crowned with success. Particularly promising due to their sufficient frost resistance are Chinese Ya. (D. batatas) and Japanese Ya. (D. japonica).

Photo gallery of species

Growing and care

D. caucasian is one of the most shade-tolerant climbing plants, therefore it can be planted in the darkest areas and corners of the garden.

Yams are native to tropical, humid climates but have quite variable requirements. Although they develop well in the sun, they tolerate partial shade without consequences, and, despite their moisture-loving nature, are resistant to short-term drought.

D. Caucasian is generally not demanding on the composition of the soil, but grows better on loose, fertile soils with neutral acidity. Too heavy clay soils limit tuber growth and make yams difficult to harvest.

For an adult Caucasian tree, it is enough to mulch the tree trunk for the winter, but young plants require full shelter. Yam tubers are dug up in the fall, placed in containers with sand and stored in a cool room until spring planting.

Dioscorea nipponensis

All types of Dioscorea require supports to determine the direction of growth.

Reproduction

Flower pollination occurs naturally in the presence of plants of male and female genotypes, and results in the production of hybrid seeds of known origin, and is therefore of interest for use in breeding programs or for avid gardeners. Propagation by seeds itself seems ineffective compared to vegetative propagation methods, since dioscoreas grown from seeds can become full-fledged inhabitants of the garden only after 3-4 years.

D. caucasica reproduces by dividing rhizomes. Delenki up to 15 cm long are cut and planted in the fall, after the end of the growing season.

Yams can reproduce both by seed and vegetative ways, but due to difficulties with flowering, even in their homeland, sexual reproduction makes only a minor contribution to the distribution of these species.

In yams, after ripening, round nodules form in the axils of the leaves, which are collected after they ripen and fall from the branches and are stored until spring in a cool (up to 10 ° C) dark place. Nodules are planted in open ground in March - April; they tolerate possible frosts well.

Arches braided with D. balcanica

Use in landscape design

D. caucasica, Nipponica and Balkan are some of the wonderful climbing vines that gardeners should have at their disposal.

Plants are amazingly versatile. By adding a vertical component to landscapes, they are able to hide the walls of buildings, garages, and weave arches. Dark green foliage with an interesting texture will provide dense screening and add visual interest to outdoor spaces. In addition, D. Caucasian has sufficient shade tolerance to brighten up remote corners of the garden.

Grow in your collection Dioscorea- means making friends with this plant for a long time, since it is long-lived and can grow in one place for several decades. Dioscorea is a plant that is listed in the Red Book.

Besides, Dioscorea has beneficial properties. Its root is used in the manufacture of creams for the treatment of eczema, as an expectorant, in the treatment of the urinary system and cystitis. The plant also has choleretic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, and diaphoretic effects.

Very popular use dioscorea in hormone replacement therapy for women, due to the content of steroid-like substances. Dioscorea root extract helps the body produce dehydroepiandrosterone, which promotes the production of sex hormones.

Botanical description

Dioscorea(lat. Dioscorea), sometimes the name is found wild yam(Wild yam), has the appearance of a perennial herbaceous vine, the length of which reaches up to 3 meters.

Refers to to the Dioscoreaceae family. A special feature of the plant is its leaves, which vary in shape depending on their location on the different parts plants.

At the top they are pointed, opposite petiolate. The lower part is whorled and heart-shaped. The rhizome is thick and branched.

Flowers- unisexual with a greenish tint. The seeds are triangular capsules with wings along the edge.

Dioscorea in nature It is rare due to extinction as a species. But it is successfully grown at home as an ornamental plant. Dioscorea takes root well both indoors and in open ground.

Dioscorea has several types. Dioscorea shaggy (Latin: Dioscorea villosa), Dioscorea below-gray (Latin: Dioscorea hypoglauca), Dioscorea opposite (Latin: Dioscorea opposita).

Grow in the home garden Dioscorea the kind that you were lucky enough to acquire. All of them take root equally well in our conditions, since Dioscorea grows mainly in the Caucasus.

Temperature and light

In summer Temperature conditions for Dioscorea can be within +20+23°C. In winter, it is important to ensure that the heat level is within + 15°C.

Dioscorea, thanks to its familiar habitat, can withstand harsh conditions, but like all plants, it prefers comfort and coziness.

If Dioscorea is grown in open ground, then it is covered for the winter to protect it from frost, after mulching the soil with fallen leaves.

Direct solar The rays can burn the foliage of Dioscorea, but complete darkness can slow its growth. The most optimal place in the house or on garden plot there will be a western side with partial shade.

Scattered light- this is exactly what wild yam needs.

Humidity and watering

Air humidity Suitable for our climate zone. But Dioscorea is demanding when it comes to watering. The soil must be kept moist, but protected from stagnation of water in the pan. Accordingly, in summer the plant needs abundant watering, especially during dry periods.

Soil and fertilizer

Soil for Dioscorea suitable light and nutritious, rich in organic substances.

At home, you can prepare a mixture of humus, heather soil, sand and pine bark, taken in equal parts.

Fertilize Dioscorea during the active growing season it is used with universal organic liquid fertilizer.

Stick to dosage frequency specified by the manufacturer: once every two weeks.

Transfer

Transplanting a plant carried out in the spring before the start of active growing season once a year. Dioscorea grows well when the roots are in a tight pot. Therefore, you can only change the soil and leave the container the same for 2-3 years.

Reproduction

Reproduces disocorrhea by seeds and division of rhizomes. To propagate by seeds, you need to purchase the seeds themselves. Prepare a container for sowing and fill it with universal soil mixed with perlite. Can also be used to increase seed germination.

Place the seeds into the substrate container to a depth of 1 cm. Create greenhouse conditions.

To do this, you can place the container in a transparent, spacious plastic bag and place it in a warm place at a temperature of +24+25°C. Moisturize as needed.

In this mode, after three to four weeks the first shoots appear.

It is necessary to organize additional lighting with fluorescent lamps to avoid unnecessary stretching of seedlings. When the plants become stronger, they can be transplanted into a permanent pot.

Rhizome divisions produced when transplanting a plant. Dioscorea is carefully divided into smaller parts and placed in pots corresponding to the size of the root system.

Diseases and pests

Dioscorea is enough resistant plant to. The only pest you can be wary of is the one that can appear when the air is too dry.

And for the most curious, we suggest you watch the video about Dioscorea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZK4YSr6LW0