Dioscorea dregeana Seeds - Indigenous Ethnobotanical Succulent -Combined Global Ship- NEW

Dioscorea is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates. It is named after the ancient Greek physician and botanist Pedanios Dioscorides. Mostly they are tuberous herbaceous perennial climbers, growing 2 to 12m in height. The leaves are spirally arranged, mostly broad heart-shaped. The flowers are individually inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, with six petals; they are mostly dioecious, with separate male and female plants, though a few species are monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same plant. The fruit is a capsule in most species, a soft berry in a few species.

Several species, known as yams, are important agricultural crops in tropical regions, grown for their large tubers. Many of these are toxic when fresh, but can be detoxified and eaten, and are particularly important in parts of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Caudiciform species include Dioscorea elephantipes, Dioscorea dregeana, Dioscorea hemicrypta, Dioscorea macrostachya, Dioscorea mexicana, Dioscorea rupicola, Dioscorea sansibarensis and Dioscorea sylvatica. One class of toxins found in many species, including Dioscorea sylvatica, is steroidal saponins, which can be converted through a series of chemical reactions into steroid hormones for use in medicine and as contraceptives. They do very well in pots and rockeries.

Dioscorea dregeana is also known as Wild Yam in English. It is not to be consumed! The Zulu names udakwa and isidakwa respectively mean "inducing drowsiness" and "a drunkard". It is an intense sedative that is used to treat epilepsy, hysteria, insomnia and acute psychosis. This powerful narcotic is used to sedate violent, psychotic patients and is also used as an analgesic. In earlier times it was used as a general anesthetic to enable fractures of the limbs to be manipulated and stabilized by traditional bonesetters. The tuber is generally taken orally or as a weak decoction with an adequate dose resulting in sleep within 20-30 minutes. One ounce is equivalent to 10-15 offerings. Little is known about this interesting ethnobotanical.