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Photographer: Janice Stiefel
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Family Dioscoreaceae
Dioscorea villosa L.
colic-root, wild yam, yam root
Dioscorea: for Dioscorides, ancient Greek naturalist
villosa: Latin for "with hairs"
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | perennial, herbaceous vine up to 18' tall; stems twining; roots brownish rhizomes |
| Flower: | white to cream, tiny, 3-6-parted; inflorescence either widely-branched clusters of 1-4 male flowers per node or 2"-4" spikes of female flowers; blooms May-Aug. |
| Fruit: | greenish-gold, 3-winged capsule with very wide, winged seeds |
| Leaf: | broad, heart-shaped base, pointed tip, strong ribs, netted veins |
| Habitat: | moderate moisture; woods, roadsides, river-bottom forests |
| (Glossary) |
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