Elephant Dioscorea

Dioscorea elephantipes

Family. Dioscoreaic - Dioscoreaceae

Homeland - South Africa, the province of Na-tal.

This species was first described in 1773. The semi-shrub with powerful spectacular caudex, in natural growth conditions up to 1 m or more in diameter, in culture - usually 20-30 cm. This species is sometimes called "bread of Hottentot", since the storage tissuetuberoid caudex is used by the local population for food. The surface of the caudex resembles the tortoise shell, it is covered with orthorhombic orthorhombic segments with transverse dark circular bands. At the tip of the caudex, thin, no more than 0.5 cm in diameter, semi-elongated twisted shoots of a purple-green color develop. In good conditions, their length can be 5 m, in culture, usually not more than two.

Leaves alternate, kidney-heart-shaped slightly lobed, with rounded lobes, 2-5 cm in length, shiny, bright green.

Small greenish-yellow flowers are collected in a racemose inflorescence.

Courtship. Dioscore need a bright location with a small amount of direct sunlight. The temperature is maintained at 16-20 ° C.Watering during the vegetation period - from February to March and from September to November - once a week.

As a substrate, use a mixture of sod, leaf, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.Feed 1 time in 2-3 weeks with mineral fertilizer in a dose of 1/2, recommended on the package.

For dioscorea characterized by a period of rest, which falls on the summer months. Before the onset of rest leaves turn yellow and fall off, the stems wither. Shoots are cut right down to the caudex. The plant is placed in a cold greenhouse at a temperature of 6-8 ° C, the substrate is maintained in a slightly moist state. Sometimes two periods of active growth are observed: in spring( February - March) and in autumn( September, November), and rest respectively in May-August and more short-term - in December - January. Every year, the plant is transplanted into a fresh substrate. For planting it is recommended to select pots, whose diameter is close in size to the caudex.

Propagate by diode with stem cuttings and seeds, which are sown in a mixture of light turf and sand, the germination is very long - from several months to a year. After the emergence of sprouts, they are dived into a mixture of light sod, Leaf and sand in equal proportions. In the first year it is recommended to cultivate plants without a rest period, to form a more powerful caudex.