medicinal herbs
Dioscorea kamoonensis

Herb latin name: Dioscorea kamoonensis

Synonyms: Dioscorea fargesii

Family: Dioscoreaceae (Yam Family)

Medicinal use of Dioscorea kamoonensis:

The roots of most, if not all, members of this genus, contains diosgenin. This is widely used in modern medicine in order to manufacture progesterone and other steroid drugs. These are used as contraceptives and in the treatment of various disorders of the genitary organs as well as in a host of other diseases such as asthma and arthritis.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Perennial Climber

Height:

2.5 m
(8 ¹/₄ foot)

Flowering:

September
to October

Habitat of the herb:

Secondary scrub forests, forest margins and valleys at elevations of 500 - 2900 metres.

Edible parts of Dioscorea kamoonensis:

Tuber - cooked. Plants produce a number of small and globular tubers.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow March to April in a sunny position in a warm greenhouse and only just cover. It germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 20°C. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for their first year. Plant out in late spring as the plant comes into new growth. Basal stem cuttings in the summer. Division in the dormant season, never when in growth. The plant will often produce a number of shoots, the top 5 - 10 cm of the root below each shoot can be potted up to form a new plant whilst the lower part of the root can be eaten. Tubercles (baby tubers) are formed in the leaf axils. These are harvested in late summer and early autumn when about the size of a pea and coming away easily from the plant. They should be potted up immediately in individual pots in a greenhouse or cold frame. Plant out in early summer when in active growth.

Cultivation of Dioscorea kamoonensis: