| air-potato | USDA PLANTS Symbol: DIBU U.S. Nativity: Exotic Habit: Vines Forbs/Herbs |
| Dioscorea bulbifera L. |
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Taxonomic Rank: Liliopsida: Dioscoreales: Dioscoreaceae |
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| Synonym(s): air potato, air potato, bitter yam, air-potato, air yam | |
| Native Range: Tropical Asia; tropical and warm temp. eastern Asia (BAIL); | |
Air potato is an herbaceous, twining vine that can grow to lengths exceeding 60 ft. (18 m). It invades open areas in the sub-tropical southeastern United States. The leaves are alternate, 8 in. (20.3 cm) long, broadly-heart shaped with prominent veins that resemble greenbrier leaves. The rounded stems are thin and wiry. The chief means of reproduction are aerial, potato-like tubers (bulbils) located at the leaf axils. The vine rarely flowers. Air potato can form dense masses of vines that cover and kill native vegetation including trees within a variety of habitats such as forest edges, hammocks, and many disturbed areas. It was introduced from Africa for food and medicinal purposes in the early 1900s. Air potato is a common and widespread food crop throughout most tropical regions of the world. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
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| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Feature(s); Bulbils (aerial tubers) and alternate foliage in September Fred Nation, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Infestation; Amy Ferriter, State of Idaho, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; leaves Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); bulbils Karen Brown, University of Florida, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Karen Brown, University of Florida, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Plant(s); Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Feature(s); bulbils in December James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; in July James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
| EDDMapS Distribution: This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org Alternative content
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 State(s) Where Reported invasive. Based on state level agency and organization lists of invasive plants from WeedUS database. Alternative content
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