Australian Native Yam

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Other Names : Pencil Yam, Long Yam

Binomial Name : Dioscorea transversa

Trial Harvest Video

Dioscorea transversa is an East Coast, Australian native rainforest yam. It has a fresh crisp nutty texture and flavour similar to water chestnuts.

GROWING

Start these guys off in the shade and allow the vines to make their own way into full sun. My best results to date (early days yet) is growing the yam in a large pot full of 50% loamy deco, and 50% well broken down humus compost.

The vines are either male or female, therefore multiple plants are required for seed harvest.

Tubers can be stored for long periods of time (keep in cool dry sand or soil). The tubers shoot within one month of planting.

Where to find in Brisbane : 

Sam Bailey's native nursery.

Pine Rivers Community Nursery.

Native yams are a very Low GI food

More details...

Other common names are native yam (1 of 2 types named native yam in Australia), small yam and pencil yam (not be be confused with Vigna lanceolata, as it shares the same common name of pencil yam). It's natural distribution includes areas of NSW, QLD, NT and WA .... Dioscorea transversa distribution map.

This is a very attractive vine which produces a thin long edible tuber. It has separate male and female plants which produce fragrant green flowers and 3 lobed papery seed capsules on the female vine. The tuber has been described as crispy and tasty and can be eaten raw or cooked.

If you are after the tubers, it has been suggested to grow these vines in a large pot with some added climbing structure, as the tubers can dig themselves deep into the ground and prove difficult to extract.

The following youtube music video Bush Food Is Really Really Good shows a long yam being pulled out of the ground by enthusiastic children at 51 seconds (the whole video/song is great and cute to watch and listen to).

It is also reported to have a low GI value (GI 37) as per the following article - http://www.gisymbol.com/whats-new-7/ and has been described as a traditional medical plant used by Australian Aborigines with known antidiabetic activity. I believe there is a traditional skin cancer treatment use with this plant.