Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Dioscorea alata

U‘i

Winged Yam

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Winged Yam, Greater Yam, Water Yam, Asiatic Yam, White Yam; German Yamswurzel

TRADITIONAL NAMES: U‘i (RR MG AT MK AK), U‘i Mōtau (MT); Other Polynesian - Soi / Ufi (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Asia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Polynesian, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Nationally endangered (seriously)Food (Root 1+) Outer

Enlarged Image of 'Dioscorea alata'

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
?
+++
P
++
++
-
-

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
-
-
-
-
-
-

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Dioscorea alata Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); LILIIDAE; Liliales; DIOSCOREACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: Nationally endangered (seriously). Comment: Speceis and varieties of Yam are being lost on some islands. In teh NBSAP the "yam" is listed as teh most endangered domestic plant on Mauke. In teh Plant Genetic resources Workshop (Rarotonga, August 2003) yams were recorded as lost on Atiu and Mauke, with three remaining on Aitutaki and Mangaia, one on Mitiaro, and none on Rarotonga. The Cook Islands colleciton of six varieties formerly maintained at the Totokoitu Research Station had all been lost. The reasons for the lost from various islands were: pig damage, emigration of people, too labour intensive, and taste not now acceptable.
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Food (Root 1+) Outer

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.230 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.1/170 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.299 A? Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.31 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.410e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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