Hottentot's Bread
Scientific Name: Dioscorea elephantipes Engl.
Synonym: Dioscorea elephantopus, Testudinaria elephantipes
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Dioscorea elephantipes from Art Pacheco's collection in September in Tucson
USDA: 9b-12
Sun Exposure: Light shade, keep the caudex in the shade
Origin: Southern Africa (Cape Province)
Growth Habits: Deciduous caudiciform vine, tuber can reach 3 feet in diameter (90 cm), vine reaches 6 feet (2 m)
Watering Needs: Moderate to regular water, slow down water when the tuber is dormant in summer.
Propagation: Seeds, difficult from cuttings
Although it would be an expensive experiment, the tuber is edible.
Blooming Habits:
The Dioscorea elephantipes is dioecious (male and female flowers are produced on different plants). The 0.2 inches wide (4 mm), greenish-yellow flowers are insignificant.
Propagation:
The seedlings caudex forms below ground and will grow much faster if left underground for a couple of years.
Desert-Tropicals is dedicated to provide gardening advice, gardening ideas, and information about flower of all kind for landscape and collections.We try to check carefully the identification of the plants on the illustrations as well as the other information from the page, but occasionally errors do occur. if you notice anything that needs to be changed please contact us.Thanks.
© 1998-2020 Philippe Faucon, All Rights Reserved.