Dioscoreaceae

Dioscoreaceae

▪ plant family
      the yam family of the flowering plant order Dioscoreales, consisting of 4 genera and 870 species of herbaceous or woody vines and shrubs, distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate regions. Members of the family have thick, sometimes woody roots or tuber-like underground stems and net-veined, often heart-shaped leaves that sometimes are lobed. The small green or white flowers of most species are borne in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is a winged capsule or a berry. Several species of yams (yam) (vines of the genus Dioscorea) are grown for their edible tuberous roots, such as Chinese yam, or cinnamon vine (D. batatas); air potato (D. bulbifera); and yampee, or cush-cush (D. trifida).

      A few species are cultivated as ornamentals. Black bryony (Tamus communis) is a European perennial vine with yellow flowers, poisonous red berries, and poisonous blackish root tubers. Dioscorea is a principal raw material used in the manufacture of birth-control pills.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dioscoreaceae — Dioscoréacées …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dioscoreaceae — Dioscorea balcanica Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae …   Wikipedia

  • Dioscoreaceae — n. 1. a natural family of tuberous plants including the yams. Syn: family {Dioscoreaceae}, yam family. [WordNet 1.5] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dioscoreaceae — Dioscoréacées Dios …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dioscoreaceae —   Dioscoreáceas Dioscorea communi …   Wikipedia Español

  • Dioscoreaceae — Yamswurzelgewächse Gemeine Schmerwurz Dioscorea communis. Systematik Überabteilung: S …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Dioscoreaceae — noun yams • Syn: ↑family Dioscoreaceae, ↑yam family • Hypernyms: ↑plant family • Member Holonyms: ↑Liliales, ↑order Liliales • Mem …   Useful english dictionary

  • DIOSCOREACEAE R. ВГ. — ДИОСКОРЕЙНЫЕ — 201 …   Справочник растений

  • Dioscoreaceae — …   Википедия

  • Dioscoreaceae — Borderea Dioscorea Tanius Trichopus Stenomeris Plantas herbáceas, generalmente trepadoras. Hojas opuestas o alternas, enteras o palmadas. Flores verdosas, unisexuales de disposición dioica o monoica, actinomorfas; perianto homoclamídeo, con 2… …   Enciclopedia Universal

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