Dioscorea wallichii (kruo)
Male plant of Dioscorea wallichii (kruo) just before flowers open (showing stem twining direction, leaf shape, glossy upper surface of leaves and pigmented pulvinii).
Dioscorea wallichii Hook.f.
kruo (Chumporn, Thailand), kadat (Burma), gunga (Bangladesh), tunga, tunga sanga, tunga alu, tunga gaddi, tumangai, jugur kanda, cherango, dura sanga, bai-ili (India)
Least Concern (LC) according to IUCN Red List criteria.
Mixed deciduous and evergreen forest.
About this species
Dioscorea wallichii was named by Joseph D. Hooker (1817-1911) in honour of Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854), a surgeon and botanist who was involved in the development of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta. The tubers of D. wallichii are edible when boiled and peeled but are buried deep under the soil so they can be hard to extract.
Dioscorea wallichii var. christiei Prain & Burkill, Dioscorea wallichii var. vera Prain & Burkill