OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Dioscoreales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Dioscorea villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dioscorea villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Dioscorea villosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)

Dioscorea villosa

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Dioscorea quaternata

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Dioscorea villosa

INCLUDING VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 043-01-002ab:

Dioscorea villosa var. villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae

INCLUDING Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968)

Dioscorea villosa var. hirticaulis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Dioscorea glauca

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Dioscorea hirticaulis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Dioscorea quaternata

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Dioscorea villosa

 

COMMON NAME:
Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

USDA Forest Service / A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia. 1969    mpa_page_111

        

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_divi4_001_lvd

        

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4110

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Staminate inflorescence a single panicle in each axil (of median or upper leaves), per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_trsp1

June    Pickens County    SC

Table Rock State Park

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_trsp2

June    Pickens County    SC

Table Rock State Park

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_trsp3

June    Pickens County    SC

Table Rock State Park

Leaves glabrous to densely pubescent beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_trsp4

June    Pickens County    SC

Table Rock State Park

Staminate spikes have up to 4 flowers per node, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_wadc1

June?    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

JK Marlow    jkm140704_566

July    Jackson County    NC

Whiteside Mountain

Female (pistillate) spikes have 1 flower per node, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

JK Marlow    jkm140704_571

July    Jackson County    NC

Whiteside Mountain

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Tim Spira    tps_dvillosa2

July        

Leaves w continuously convex lateral margins (except just below leaf apex), 9 or more main veins, per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmdvillosa_wsm1

August?    Jackson County    NC

Whiteside Mountain

Our native Dioscorea have 7-13 main veins, vs. Smilax section Nemexia w 3(5), per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

JK Marlow    s071011_ab

October    Oconee County    SC

Oconee Station/Station Cove

Stem polygonal in cross-section, with 8-14 narrowly winged ribs, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Dioscorea villosa, Common Wild Yam, Streamhead Yam, Yellow Yam

JK Marlow    s071011_ab2

October    Oconee County    SC

Oconee Station/Station Cove

Fruits about 1" long with 3 broad wings, occuring in clusters, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Dioscorea villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae

INCLUDING PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dioscorea villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Dioscorea villosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Dioscorea villosa

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Dioscorea quaternata

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Dioscorea villosa

INCLUDING VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 043-01-002ab:
Dioscorea villosa var. villosa   FAMILY Dioscoreaceae

INCLUDING Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968)
Dioscorea villosa var. hirticaulis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dioscorea glauca

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dioscorea hirticaulis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dioscorea quaternata

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Dioscorea villosa

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

476

Herbaceous vine
Perennial
Dioecious

Habitat: Moist forests and woodlands, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Simple
Whorled and/or alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish-yellow
6 tepals
6 stamens
Inferior ovary
Unisexual

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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