Pencil yam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pencil yam |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dioscorea
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| Species: |
transversa
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| Synonyms | |
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Dioscorea punctata R.Br. |
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Dioscorea transversa, often called the pencil yam, is a type of climbing plant. You can find this vine growing in the eastern and northern parts of Australia. It's well-known for its long, thin underground parts, called tubers, which are safe to eat.
What is the Pencil Yam Plant Like?
The pencil yam has pretty leaves that look like a heart. They are shiny and have about 5 to 7 veins that stand out. When the plant makes seeds, they grow inside round pods. These pods start out green or pink. As they get older, they dry out and turn a papery, straw-brown color.
The part of the plant that people eat is the tuber. These tubers are usually long and slender, much like a pencil, which is how the plant got its common name!
There are two main types, or "forms," of the pencil yam:
- One form grows in the eastern parts of Australia. It likes places like rainforests. This type does not grow small aerial tubers called bulbils.
- The other form is found in northern Australia. It grows in more open forest areas. This northern type has small bulbils that grow above ground. It also has larger tubers growing underground.
How People Use Pencil Yams
For a very long time, the tubers of the pencil yam were a very important food. Indigenous Australians ate them as a main part of their diet. They usually cooked the tubers before eating them. Often, they would cook them in special ovens built in the ground.
In the past, people had different names for this plant. An old book from 1889 mentioned that it was sometimes called "Long yam." Indigenous Australians from Central Queensland called it "Kowar." The book also said that the small, young tubers could be eaten without needing much preparation.
