Dioscorea trifida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dioscorea trifida |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dioscorea
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| Species: |
trifida
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Dioscorea trifida is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family. This plant is also known as a yam, which is part of the Dioscorea group. It originally comes from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. People call it by many names, like Indian yam, cush-cush, and yampee. In different countries, it has special names: mapuey in Venezuela, inhame in Brazil, tabena and ñame in Colombia, sacha papa in Peru, and ñampi in Costa Rica.
What it Looks Like
Dioscorea trifida is a vine that can grow very long, over 3 meters (about 10 feet). Each plant can have up to 12 stems. These stems have thin, wing-like edges. The plant grows from roots that form tubers. These tubers can be different shapes and sizes. They usually grow up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long and 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) wide.
The leaves are quite large, about 23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches) long. Their blades are divided into pointed sections. They grow on long, winged stalks called petioles. The plant produces small green flowers. Each flower has six tiny parts called tepals. After flowering, the plant grows a fruit. This fruit is a winged, slightly hairy capsule. It is about 2.7 centimeters (1 inch) long.
How People Use It
This yam species is grown for food in parts of the Americas. It is especially popular in South America and some Caribbean countries. The part people eat is the starchy tuber. It has a thin, smooth skin that might have a few small cracks. The tubers come in different shapes. They can be round, club-shaped, or even look like a horse's hoof. Sometimes they have a split in them. The tubers can be white, purple, or black.
Farmers grow Dioscorea trifida much like they grow potatoes. However, it needs a strong trellis or support structure to climb on. New plants are grown from small tubers or pieces of tubers. The crop is ready to harvest in about 10 to 11 months.
The tuber is always cooked before eating. People can bake it or boil it. In Venezuela and Colombia, it is often mashed or added to soups. Some people in the Caribbean think it is "the best of the yams." It is an important staple food for some indigenous peoples.
The tuber is made up of about 38% starch. This starch is a special type called waxy starch. It does not contain amylose. This makes it useful as a binder or thickener in food processing.
See also
In Spanish: Dioscorea trifida para niños
