Plant Details

Accepted name:: Dioscorea alata L. [Dioscoreaceae]
More about this plant:: Plants of the World Online
Source:: World Checklist of Vascular Plants

Non-scientific name:	Class of name:	Medicinal source:
aaluka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007)
alukam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
aranpiracatanam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
asiatic yam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007) Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
cará	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) Med. Pl. Traded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Leitão et al., 2014)
cará branco	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
cará roxo	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
cevvalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
cevvalli-k-koti	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
cevvallikkoti	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
ceyvallikkilanku	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
chev-vallik-kodi	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
chinem	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
chipari-aalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
chipri-alu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
chupri alu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
civappuvalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
cān shǔ	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
daeshavaali pendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
dandaanu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
dandalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
dappa genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
deshavalipendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
dioscorea alata whole	Other	Global Substance Registration System (GSRS) (FDA/NCATS, 2024)
dukka pendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
dà shǔ	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
gadimidondapendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
gadimidondapendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
gadinidonda pendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
geflügelter yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
goradu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
grande igname	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
greater yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020) Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007) Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
guna pendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
gunapendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
gunapendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
guyana arrow-root	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
guyana arrowroot	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016)
hennu genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
hóng máo shǔ	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
igname ailée	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
igname de chine	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
inhame	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
inhame branco	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
inhame de são tomé	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
inhame roxo	Other	GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
irattavalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
iyamkilanku	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kaashthaaluka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007)
kaccil	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kacil	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kada kanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kada-kanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kalekavannam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kandaka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kappa-kavali	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kappan kaccil	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kasthaluka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kathaalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007)
katsjikelengu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
katsjil-kelengu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kavathu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kavattu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kavili-gadda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kayavalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kayvalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
khamalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
khanphal	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kikwa kimansunga	Other	Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
kirachi kanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
kiri kodol	Other	Ayurvedic Med. Pl. of Sri Lanka (Samarasuriya et al., 2020)
ko sii	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Abui Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
ko tuber	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Abui Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
mansungu	Other	Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
mudigenasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
mullu valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
mullu valli kilangu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
mullu-valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
máo shǔ	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
naarathega	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
name	Other	Dr. Duke's Databases: Ethnobotanical Subset (Duke, 2016)
nelavupandalum	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
niluvapendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
niluvu pendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
niluvupendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
noorele genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
nurele genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
palakucantanam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pendalam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pendalamu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
perum-valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
perumvalli kizhangu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007)
perumvallikilanku	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
peruvallikkilannu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
peruvallikkizhannu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pinda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pindaalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pindaka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pindalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pindaluh	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
piravannam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pitavannam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pitavarnam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pittapanturu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
pokok ubi	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
pottukkarivalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
purple yam	Other	U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016)
putuccerivalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
putuccerivallikkilanku	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
raktalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
raktaluka	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
ratalu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
sewalli kodi	Other	Demand & Supply of Med. Pl. in India (Ved et al., 2008)
shigenasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
siru-valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
siruvalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
storjams	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
tabena	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
tambulaparnakanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
taurikavalli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
ten-months yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016)
tepatli	Other	Dr. Duke's Databases: Ethnobotanical Subset (Duke, 2016)
thoona genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
thunagenasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tiritiyavallikkilanku	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tiriyam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tirttamati	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
true asiatic yam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tuna genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tuna-genasu	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
tunakereng	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
ubi badak	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
ubi padang	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
utukkaikkoti	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
varahakanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
vettilai-valli	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
visha kanda	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
wasser yamswurzel	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
water yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) Herbs of Commerce (McGuffin et al., 2000) Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016) Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
white yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) Herbs of Commerce (McGuffin et al., 2000) Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016)
wild yam	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007)
winged yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016) Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
yadduthoka dumpa	Other	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
yam	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
yam, globose	Other	Dr. Duke's Databases: Ethnobotanical Subset (Duke, 2016)
ñame	Other	Med. Pl. in Ethnobot./Relig. Trads., Cuba (Carlomagno et al., 2015)
ñame blanco	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
ñame de agua	Other	GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024)
කිරි කොඩොල්	Other	Ayurvedic Med. Pl. of Sri Lanka (Samarasuriya et al., 2020)
参薯	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
大薯	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
毛薯	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Chinese Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022) Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
红毛薯	Other	Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)

Part(s) of plant used:	Drug form:	Medicinal source:
Tubers		Ayurvedic Med. Pl. of Sri Lanka (Samarasuriya et al., 2020)
tuber starch		Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022)
Root, Stem		Demand & Supply of Med. Pl. in India (Ved et al., 2008)

Kew's taxonomic resources include 17 scientific synonym(s) for this plant:

Dioscorea alata var. purpurea (Roxb.) H.F.Macmill. Circ. Agric. J. Roy. Bot. Gard. Peradeniya 3: 11 (1905).
Dioscorea atropurpurea Roxb. Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 800 (1832).
Dioscorea colocasiifolia Pax Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 15: 145 (1892).
Dioscorea globosa Roxb. Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 797 (1832).
Dioscorea purpurea Roxb. Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 799 (1832).
Dioscorea rubella Roxb. Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 798 (1832).
Dioscorea alata var. globosa (Roxb.) Prain Bengal Pl. 2: 1067 (1903).
Dioscorea alata var. tarri Prain & Burkill J. Proc. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 10: 39 (1914).
Dioscorea alata var. vera Prain & Burkill J. Proc. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 10: 39 (1914).
Dioscorea eburina Lour. Fl. Cochinch.: 625 (1790).
Dioscorea eburnea Lour. Fl. Cochinch., ed. 2: 767 (1793).
Dioscorea javanica Queva Mém. Soc. Natl. Sci. Agric. Arts Lille, sér. 4, 20: 372 (1894).
Dioscorea sapinii De Wild. Ann. Mus. Congo Belge, Bot., sér. 5, 3: 368 (1912).
Dioscorea vulgaris Miq. Fl. Ned. Ind. 3: 572 (1857).
Elephantodon eburneus (Lour.) Salisb. Gen. Pl.: 12 (1866).
Polynome alata (L.) Salisb. Gen. Pl.: 12 (1866).
Ubium alatum (L.) Desf. Tabl. École Bot.: 21 (1804).

This plant is cited in medicinal sources using the following names:

Name as published:	Medicinal source:
Dioscorea alata	Ayurvedic Med. Pl. of Sri Lanka (Samarasuriya et al., 2020) Consv. of Indonesian Med. Pl. (Cahyaningsih, 2020) Dr. Duke's Databases: Ethnobotanical Subset (Duke, 2016) Handbook African Med. Pl. (Iwu, 1993) Polyglot Asian Med.: Abui Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022) Polyglot Asian Med.: Malay Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022) Useful Pl. of Kongo C Province, Vol. 1-2 (Latham & ku Mbuta, 2017)
Dioscorea alata L.	Consv. of Indonesian Med. Pl. (Cahyaningsih, 2020) Demand & Supply of Med. Pl. in India (Ved et al., 2008) Demand & Supply of Med. Pl. in India (Ved et al., 2017) Fijian Med. Pl. (Cambie & Ash, 1994) GRIN Report: World Economic Pl. (Wiersema & León, 1999) GRIN-Global Taxonomy (USDA, 2024) Global Substance Registration System (GSRS) (FDA/NCATS, 2024) Herbs of Commerce (McGuffin et al., 2000) Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020) Med. Pl. Traded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Leitão et al., 2014) Pl. Med. Totius Mundi (Penso & Proserpio, 1997) Polyglot Asian Med.: Chinese Subset (Stanley-Baker, 2022) SOTWP 2016: PROTA (2015) SOTWP 2016: Pl. for Malaria, Pl. for Fever (Milliken, 2015) U.S. FDA Substance Registration System (2016) World Checklist of Useful Pl. Spp. (Diazgranados et al., 2020) World Dictionary of Med. & Pois. Pl. (Quattrocchi, 2012) Zhonghua Bencao: Materia Medica of China (1998)
Dioscorea alata L. var. purpurea (Roxb.) M.Pouch.	Zhonghua Bencao: Materia Medica of China (1998)
Dioscorea alata Lin.	Med. Pl. in Ethnobot./Relig. Trads., Cuba (Carlomagno et al., 2015)
Dioscorea alata Linn.	Indian Med. Pl. Dictionary (Khare, 2007) SOTWP 2016: Useful Pl. of W Trop. Africa (2015)
Dioscorea atropurpurea	Consv. of Indonesian Med. Pl. (Cahyaningsih, 2020)
Dioscorea colocasiifolia Pax.	SOTWP 2016: Useful Pl. of W Trop. Africa (2015)
Dioscorea globosa	Dr. Duke's Databases: Ethnobotanical Subset (Duke, 2016)
Dioscorea globosa Roxb.	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
Dioscorea purpurea Roxb.	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)
Dioscorea rubella L.	Indian Med. Pl. Database (TDU, 2020)

The following online resources may contain further information about this plant. Please click on any link to search that resource. You may search using the accepted name alone OR using the accepted name and all of its synonyms simultaneously.