The air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is also known as an air yam and Puerto Rican potato. It is a member of the yam
family and native to Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Air potatoes can be found
throughout the States of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Hawaii and
in Puerto Rico.
It is a vigorously twining,
herbaceous vine often growing to 60 or 70ft. in length. The plant produces underground tubers as
well as aerial tubers called ‘bulbils’ which form in the leaf axis. These bulbils are smooth or warty and range
in color from a light tan to a dark coffee color.
In many parts of the world the
tubers and bulbils of D. bulbifera are used as food, and the plant is
cultivated as an agricultural crop. In
Hawaii they are eaten steamed or boiled.
They have been reported as being poisonous when raw but may be eaten
after peeled and cooked. In Florida it
is reported that uncultivated forms are bitter and even
poisonous. They consider these plants
to be toxic and should not be consumed.
In Florida it is listed as a Category I invasive exotic plant. This means
that it is currently altering native plant communities by displacing native
species and changing community structures.
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