Dioscorea spongiosa

Botanical Description

Dioscorea spongiosa is a perennial climbing plant growing from a much-branched, spreading, horizontal rhizome around 20 - 50mm thick; it produces vigorous annual stems that twine to the left. The stems scramble over the ground and twine into nearby vegetation[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for use in tradional Chinese medicine.