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Yams (Dioscorea) of Northeastern North America
| Wild Yam, Dioscorea villosa | Chinese Yam, Dioscorea polystachya |
Key to the Dioscorea Species of Northeastern North America
1a. Vine from rhizomes; leaf axils without aerial tubers; mature petioles nearly circular in cross section; leaves ovate-cordate, the sides evenly convex, basal lobes absent; fruits winged..... Dioscorea villosa
1b. Vine from woody tuber; leaf axils often with aerial tubers; mature petioles strongly channeled; leaves hastate, sides with some concavity, basal lobes usually present; fruits unknown in North America..... Dioscorea polystachya
Dioscorea polystachya Turcz. – Chinese Yam, Cinnamon Vine
Introduced; NYS Prohibited; present in NYC. Description. iNaturalist observations from New York City. GloBI interactions.
Indiana non-native plant invasiveness ranking form. Pest Risk Management Document for Dioscorea polystachya (Chinese yam) in Canada
Dioscorea villosa L. – Wild Yam
Indigenous; (CoC 6); present in NYC. Description. iNaturalist observations from New York City. GloBI interactions.
Comments
So it seems that the native species has not yet been recorded from Manhattan?
That's right. There are only observations and specimens from the Bronx and Staten Island. It's more common off the Coastal Plain. It is cultivated at Battery Park: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53973372
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