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Name That Plant!

ID tropical vine

16 years ago

I grew this plant from a seed I found on the path of a public tropical greenhouse. It was a very large seed, over an inch long, and rather oval - slightly wedge-shaped. It was a pale tan smooth seed. It took about 6 months to germinate. It then developed a funny bumpy knob in the middle, from which the roots and stem grew.

It is a vine; its stem winds around things tightly, but it has no tendrils. What look like tendrils in the photo are small leaves. The points of the leaves are shaped like small hooks but don't seem sturdy enough to aid the plant in climbing.

I would love it if somebody had an idea of what this vine is!

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Comments (8)

omniphasic
16 years ago
It looks like some form of curcurbit.....maybe even kudzu!
Careful,it may spread like the dickens!
Email me a photo of it's flower at omniphasic@yahoo.com,and I'll know for sure what it is~
saltcedar
16 years ago
Not Kudzu though I'm not sure what it is.

HTH
Chris
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chazparas
16 years ago
Looks like an air potato to me, latin name escapes me. Dio or Disc-something or other! I know that's very helpful...LOL, it'll make a pretty vine in the house, and eventually make little tubers along the stems so propogation is easy. I don't think it's hardy in your zone, if it were I'd keep it inside, it can be a problem in the south. It may go dormant in the winter even inside. Nothing like Kudzu though.
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carol23_gw
16 years ago
Perhaps Dioscorea trifida

Here is a link that might be useful: Dioscorea trifida
karen99
Original Author
16 years ago
The leaves do look like some yam species.
But as far as I can tell, they all seem to have smaller seeds.
I suppose it's possible that what I thought was a seed was really an air potato tuber, but seems too small to be a tuber.
chazparas
16 years ago
Karen99,
I've seen airpotato tubers as small as peas and as large as golf balls, I've heard they can even be larger in tropical areas. Would love to get my hands on one again, it really made a lovely house plant.
Chaz
tangee
16 years ago
Hello,
I just bought this vine a few months ago ...and the label says its a Chinese Yam or Dioscorea battatus...no flowers but big beautiful shiney leaves...products pea shape pods by the leaf joint...plant and it makes a new plant..nice house plant...dies back..and they comes back up in the spring.
karen99
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. It may be the air potato or Chinese yam or something else from that genus. The leaf texture/veins and overall shape are similar. My plant's leaves are much more jagged and toothed, though... but it has just those 2 leaves right now, so maybe the mature leaves will look different?

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