Dioscorea dregeana
Wild yam
Dioscorea dregeana, commonly known as a climbing yam, is a remarkable medicinal plant native to southern Africa. Renowned for its tuberous roots, this species contains bioactive compounds used in traditional healing. It serves as a vital botanical resource, offering significant potential for pharmacological research and natural therapeutic applications.
- Scientific name: Dioscorea dregeana
- Family: Dioscoreaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Dioscoreales and the family Dioscoreaceae, it is classified under the genus Dioscorea. Specifically, this species is identified as Dioscorea dregeana.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Dioscoreales | WCVP |
| Family | Dioscoreaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Dioscorea | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Dioscorea dregeana, is referred to by several different common names depending on the language. In English, it is known as the Wild yam, while in Afrikaans, it is called Wildejam. Within Southern African linguistic traditions, it is identified as isiDakwa in isiZulu and inGcolo in isiXhosa. Additionally, in Arabic, the plant is written as ديسقوريا دريجية.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| af | Wildejam | Wikidata |
| zu | isiDakwa | Wikidata |
| xh | inGcolo | Wikidata |
| ar | ديسقوريا دريجية | Wikidata |
| en | Wild yam | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific range across the southern regions of the African continent. Within South Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in the country of Mozambique. Moving into Southern Africa, it can be found throughout the Cape Provinces. The species is also distributed within the KwaZulu-Natal region of Southern Africa. Additionally, its geographical reach extends to include the nation of Eswatini.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Cape Provinces | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Eswatini | WCVP |
Activities
Dioscorea dregeana has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial.
- Total activities
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Dioscorea dregeana has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include infectious diseases.
- Total uses
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| infectious diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |