Taxon: Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.

Summary

Genus:

Dioscorea

Family:

Dioscoreaceae

Nomen number:

14241

Place of publication:

Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 10(7):158. 1837

Protologue link:

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41314106

Verified:

03/24/2006 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

7 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Dioscorea batatas Decne.
Dioscorea decaisneana Carrière

Invalid Designation(s)
Dioscorea opposita auct.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
American Herbal Products Association. 1992. Herbs of commerce Note: = Dioscorea batatas
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Babil, P. et al. 2013. Intra-specific ploidy variations in cultivated Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.). Trop. Agric. Developm. 57:101-107. DOI: 10.11248/jsta.57.101.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Epping, J. & N. Laibach. 2020. An underutilized orphan tuber crop - Chinese yam: a review. Planta 252:58. DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03458-3.
Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Dioscorea batatas
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Lebot, V. 2009. Section III. Yams. Chapter 16. Taxonomy and botany. Crop Prod. Sci. Hort. 18:191-210. Note: as "Dioscorea opposita" auct.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2 Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Viruel, J. et al. 2016. Late Cretaceous-Early Eocene origin of yams (Dioscorea, Dioscoreaceae) in the Laurasian Palaeartic and their subsequent Oligocene-Miocene diversification. J. Biogeogr. 43:750-762. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12678.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zhang, S. et al. 2019. Biorefinery of Dioscorea composita Hemsl with ferric chloride for saponins conversion to diosgenin and recycling the waste to biomethane. Industr. Crops Prod. 135:122-129. DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.04.040. Note: as Dioscorea opposita
Zhao, Z. et al. 2018. Complete chloroplast genome sequences of Dioscorea: characterization, genomic resources, and phylogenetic analyses. PeerJ 6:e6032. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6032.
2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	Chinese yam		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	Chinese-potato	as Dioscorea batatas	1	Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2 Note: = Dioscorea batatas
English	cinnamon-vine	as Dioscorea batatas	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: = Dioscorea batatas
French	igname	as Dioscorea batatas	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Dioscorea batatas
German	chinesische Yamswurzel	as Dioscorea batatas	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Japanese Rōmaji	naga-imo	as Dioscorea batatas	2	Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Swedish	jams		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	shan yao	as Dioscorea batatas	2	American Herbal Products Association. 1992. Herbs of commerce Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Transcribed Chinese	shu yu		2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Anhui Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Fujian Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng	e.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng	n.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hebei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Henan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hubei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hunan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangsu Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jilin Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Liaoning Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shaanxi Sheng	s.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shandong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng	n.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Hokkaidô		Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Honshu		Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Kyushu		Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Shikoku		Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea			Epping, J. & N. Laibach. 2020. An underutilized orphan tuber crop - Chinese yam: a review. Planta 252:58. DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03458-3.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated					cult. in temperate regions
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Babil, P. et al. 2013. Intra-specific ploidy variations in cultivated Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.). Trop. Agric. Developm. 57:101-107. DOI: 10.11248/jsta.57.101.
4	Naturalized					natzd. in temperate regions

Native
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Anhui Sheng, Fujian Sheng, Gansu Sheng (e.), Guangdong Sheng (n.), Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Henan Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Hunan Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Jilin Sheng, Liaoning Sheng, Shaanxi Sheng (s.), Shandong Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng (n.), Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan [Hokkaidô, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku], Taiwan

Cultivated

REGION:

Asia-Temperate

EASTERN ASIA: Japan

Naturalized (natzd. in temperate regions)

Reference(s)

Babil, P. et al. 2013. Intra-specific ploidy variations in cultivated Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.). Trop. Agric. Developm. 57:101-107. DOI: 10.11248/jsta.57.101.
Epping, J. & N. Laibach. 2020. An underutilized orphan tuber crop - Chinese yam: a review. Planta 252:58. DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03458-3.
Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Dioscorea batatas
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	as Dioscorea oppositifolia	Al-Shehbaz, I. A. & B. G. Schubert. 1989. The Dioscoreaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 70:73. Note: misapplied to Dioscorea batatas Decne.
Human food	starch	as Dioscorea batatas	Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Human food	vegetable		Babil, P. et al. 2013. Intra-specific ploidy variations in cultivated Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.). Trop. Agric. Developm. 57:101-107. DOI: 10.11248/jsta.57.101.
Human food	vegetable		Epping, J. & N. Laibach. 2020. An underutilized orphan tuber crop - Chinese yam: a review. Planta 252:58. DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03458-3.
Human food	vegetable	as Dioscorea batatas	Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Medicines	folklore		Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicines	folklore	as Dioscorea oppositifolia	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Weed		as Dioscorea batatas	Campbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=14241. Accessed 15 April 2026.