Home | > | List of families | > | Dioscoreaceae | > | Dioscorea | > | sansibarensis |
Synonyms: |
Dioscorea macroura Harms Dioscorea welwitschii Rendle |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Robust climber with annual stems up to 30 m long, growing from a large perennial tuber, up to 50 cm in diameter. Stems left-twining, hairless, usually unarmed; bulbils, up to 5.5 cm in diameter, often present in the axils. Leaves normally opposite. Mature leaves broadly heart-shaped up to 20 cm long including a long apical point, up to 6.3 cm long; hairless; margin entire, inrolled and thickened. Immature leaves much smaller and thinner, with 3-9 more or less deep lobes, particularly towards the base. Petiole 8-12(25) cm long, with a pair of fleshy oblong lateral nodal flanges, often almost entirely replacing the leaves near the base of older stems. Inflorescences in lax pendent, axillary spikes. Capsule up to 5 × 2.8 cm, blue-green, especially when young. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | sansibarensis: of Zanzibar; although the type specimen was in fact found near Bagamoyo, Tanzania, across from Zanzibar on the mainland. |
Habitat: | |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Feb - Apr |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in Subsaharan Africa and Madagascar. |
Malawi distribution: | N,C,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 90. Milne-Redhead, E. (1975). Dioscoreaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 7 - 9. (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 97. (Includes a picture). Wilkin, P. (2009). Dioscoreaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 133 - 134. |
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