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Dioscorea pentaphylla

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Dioscoreales Family: Dioscoreaceae Genus: Dioscorea

fiveleaf yam, pi‘a, pi‘a [pia] Hawai‘i

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Vines.

Stems: Stems twining to the left, = angled, up to 10 m long, pilose to hirsute, glabrate with age, usually with numerous scattered prickles, tubers nearly always solitary, variable in shape, growing near the surface or over 1 m underground.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves compound (palmate) or rarely simple. Alternate. Leaflets 3–5, elliptic or oblong, 5–10 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, the central one oblanceolate or obovate, the lateral ones somewhat asymmetrical. Apex obtuse or acute to acuminate. Surfaces with yellowish brown pubescent at least on lower surface, axils with bulbils and occasionally bearing globose to horseshoe shaped tubers ca. 1 cm in diameter. Leaflet margins entire. Petioles 5-11 cm long, densely reddish brown pubescent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Staminate flowers in axillary, spike-like racemes up to 30 cm long, near the ends of the branches, reddish pubescent, pistillate flowers in long pendent spikes 5–25 cm long. Flowers unisexual, the plants dioecious. Calyx of staminate flowers with Tepals broadly lanceolate, ca. 1 mm long. Calyx of pistillate flowers with tepals ca. 1.5 mm long. Staminate flower with 3 stamen and 3 staminodes (longer than stamens); pistillate flowers with 6 rudimentary staminodes. Ovary inferior, villous, 3-carpellate.

Fruit: Capsules oblong; 20–25 mm long; glabrous or glabrate; shallowly emarginate at both ends; the wings up to 6 mm wide. Seeds winged on basal side only.

Ploidy: 2n = 40; 70; 80; 144

Habitat: Naturalized primarily in windward mesic valleys.

Elevation Range: 115–325 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Tubers eaten in times of famine (Krauss 1993:11,12).

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 1032 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1437 (K, O, Mo, M, H)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Dioscorea pentaphylla ahupuaa of Halepuaa Forest Reserve in the Puna District. Found growing on the side of the old railroad On the side of the old railroad. Preserved_Specimen ESP Field Crew Hawaii BISH 1979-08-15
2 Dioscorea pentaphylla Wailau Valley floor Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 10374 Molokai BISH 1984-08-13
3 Dioscorea pentaphylla Waimano Trail Preserved_Specimen Small potatoes at nodes on vine. Kerr, M. 4391 Oahu BISH 1945-10-07
4 Dioscorea pentaphylla Halepuaa Forest Reserve in the Puna District Preserved_Specimen This vine is very commoon throughout the reserve. Most plants observed were wither seedlings or juveniles. Clarke, G. 79.205 Hawaii BISH 1979-03-07
5 Dioscorea pentaphylla Waiahole Ditch Trail Preserved_Specimen Meebold, A. Oahu BISH 1932-06-01
6 Dioscorea pentaphylla Waioli Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 91 Kauai BISH 1909-07-29
7 Dioscorea pentaphylla Kawailoa, Kawaiiki Ditch Trail Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 24834 Oahu BISH 1952-07-13
8 Dioscorea pentaphylla Palolo Valley, Kaau Crater, frequent along trail on way to crater Koa zone. Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 37309 Oahu BISH 1937-07-29
9 Dioscorea pentaphylla Kapakahi Gulch Koa zone in ope kukui forest. Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 37215 Oahu BISH 1937-07-22
10 Dioscorea pentaphylla Waimalu Preserved_Specimen ~7 m tall vine Brown, F.B.H. 11282 Oahu BISH 1925-12-31
11 Dioscorea pentaphylla East Maui, Hana District, Hana Forest Reserve, Hana Ranch lands, mauka of Keakaamanu Tropical lowland forest, planted with introduced trees UNKNOWN . Coordinates do not match to country in source data. Not found a country in reverser geocoding. Bioversity International C. R. Annable Maui HAPI 1/15/1997
12 Dioscorea pentaphylla Kawailoa, Kawaiiki Ditch Trail Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 24834 Oahu BISH 1952-07-13
13 Dioscorea pentaphylla Manoa Valley, Waiakeakua, Preserved_Specimen Wentworth, C.H. Oahu BISH 1935-01-01
14 Dioscorea pentaphylla Wainiha; Wainiha Valley, bottom of small side gulch Moist lower forest. Climbing over trees. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 13908 Kauai BISH 1934-01-01
15 Dioscorea pentaphylla Wainiha Valley, near dam Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 1505 Kauai BISH 1956-12-26
16 Dioscorea pentaphylla Palolo Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1968 Oahu BISH 1914-10-22
17 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range, Kawailoa, Kawaiiki Ditch trail Moist wooded side gulch, under Aleurites and Metrosideros. Preserved_Specimen Tubers 35-95 mm. long, 32-55 mm. diam.; vine ±10 mm. long, trailing or half climbing. St.John, H. 24704 Oahu BISH 1951-10-14
18 Dioscorea pentaphylla Haupu, Kipu Moist forest. Climbing over trees. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 13672 Kauai BISH 1933-12-25
19 Dioscorea pentaphylla Palolo, Waiomao Valley Open shrubby area in valley. Preserved_Specimen Vine; blackish-brown fruit. Tongg, R. Oahu BISH 1942-11-29
20 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Kawailoa, Kawaiiki Ditch Trail, side gulch Rain forest. Preserved_Specimen Long creeping stem; tuberose rhizome. Wilson, K.A. 12 Oahu BISH 1951-10-14
21 Dioscorea pentaphylla Ho'omaluhia Botanial garden. Trail in disturbed Ardisia dominated lowland forest Wet, full shade Preserved_Specimen ca. 20 plants along trail Faccenda, K. 2079 Oahu BISH 2021-08-14
22 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Mts.; Koolauloa, Hauula, Hidden Valley, above Swanzy Park.tch Trail, side gulch Vine gowing on Pisonia Preserved_Specimen Lvs light yellow-green above, pale, lighter yellow-green below; stems w/thorns; flwrs brown, at nodes; frt brown at nodes. Teraoka, W. 360 Oahu BISH 1980-10-09
23 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Waimalu Flowering only bare landslide at middle elevation. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 10110 Oahu BISH 1935-11-03
24 Dioscorea pentaphylla Punaluu; Castle Trail Loose rocky soil, steep slope, ohia woods. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 23376 Oahu BISH 1948-05-23
25 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Palolo, Waiomao Valley Climbing over low shrubs, dense undergrowth. Preserved_Specimen Kuykendall, J.R. 45 Oahu BISH 1942-11-29
26 Dioscorea pentaphylla Wailau Valley Climbing over shrubs. Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 70221 Molokai BISH 1910-04-20
27 Dioscorea pentaphylla West Niu Gulch, at branch in stream Koa zone in opening in forest. Preserved_Specimen Egler, F.E. 37195 Oahu BISH 1937-07-20
28 Dioscorea pentaphylla Kawaihau District. Kuilau Trail, below Keahua Arboretum. Disturbed lowland windward Forest Ground cover of weedy grasses, Sphagneticola trilobata, Lantana camara, Cyclosorus interruptus, Rubus rosifolius, Ageratina. Canopy of Aleurites, Pisonia, Senna, Freycinetia, Psidium guava, P. cattlei Preserved_Specimen Climbing up Aleurites. Small potatoes on vine fall easily. Older branches w/ purple lines in green. Petioles purple. Leaflets dull dark green above w/ impressed venation, below light green w/ raised venation. Older stems w/ thorns. Stem w/ short brown hairs. Petioles grooved above. Underside of pulvinus w/ gro Tangalin, N. 3559 Kauai BISH 2013-11-22
29 Dioscorea pentaphylla Ewa Dist.; Waimalu Metrosideros forest. Preserved_Specimen Grant, M.L. 7338 Oahu BISH 1934-09-09
30 Dioscorea pentaphylla Tantalus, Kalawahine trail Shady understory. Moist Preserved_Specimen Twining vine. Bulblets present in leaf axils Faccenda, K. 2097 Oahu BISH 2021-08-28
31 Dioscorea pentaphylla Gulch west of Ualapue Rocky woods. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 5562 Molokai BISH 1928-06-30
32 Dioscorea pentaphylla East Maui, Hana District, 2.5 km W of Hana Hwy & Waikoloa Rd in the Kawaipapa area Tropical lowland forest planted w. introduced trees. Preserved_Specimen Vine w. tuber. Annable, C.R. 3237 Maui BISH 1997-01-15
33 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Waimalu Flowering only bare landslide at middle elevation. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 10110 Oahu BISH 1935-11-03
34 Dioscorea pentaphylla Head of Wailau Valley Rain forest near banana patch. Preserved_Specimen 8 m vine. St.John, H. 23531 Molokai BISH 1948-12-27
35 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Palolo, Waiomao Valley Intermediate moist. Preserved_Specimen Vine; infl purple. Nishida, T. Oahu BISH 1943-10-05
36 Dioscorea pentaphylla Koolau Range; Waimalu Flowering only bare landslide at middle elevation. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 10110 Oahu BISH 1935-11-03
37 Dioscorea pentaphylla East Maui, Hana District, Hana Forest Reserve, Hana Ranch lands, mauka of Keakaamanu Alien forest slopes dominated by Psidium guajava and Ardisia elliptica. Preserved_Specimen Vining on Spathodea campanulata. Imada, C. 200280 Maui BISH 2002-11-11
38 Dioscorea pentaphylla Head of Hanakoa Valley Wet woods. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 24968 Kauai BISH 1953-01-03
39 Dioscorea pentaphylla North Molokai; slopes of Waiahookalo Stream valley Steep, rocky slopes w/secondary forest of Psidium guajava, Syzygium malaccense & native remnants incl. Diospyros sandwicensis, Metrosideros & Nestegis w/understory of Kalanchoe pinnata & Zingiber zerumbet. Common along stream. Preserved_Specimen Dextrorsely twining vine, stem w/bulbils, sterile. Lorence, D.H. 5419 Molokai BISH 1987-07-31
40 Dioscorea pentaphylla East Maui, Hana District, Kalahu Point, PTBG Kahanu Garden In remnant Pandanus forest SSE of Pi`ilanihale Heiau in rough a`a lava. Common throughout forest. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 2487 Maui BISH 1987-10-20
41 Dioscorea pentaphylla Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve; 3.2 miles NW of Wailua Experiment Station Vine climbing on Aleurites & Hibiscus overstory. In shade w/Zingiber, Nephrolepis, Oplismenus. Preserved_Specimen Small tubers in leaf axils; lvs palmately compound, 3-5 leaflets. Ishikawa, S. 277 Kauai BISH 1973-08-20
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