Purple Chinese Yam? As in Purple Polystachya? I didn’t know those were a thing, I’m interested!
Yes. Shape and the texture all are like a regular (long root) yam but inside is purple(dark outside). Very beautiful color of purple cooked. Sometimes in asian market like hmark, the frozen purple yam is available (not often stocked though, I have not been able to find it lately). The fresh one I had was sold in a Asian supermarket in NY(Queens I think). Friend of mine bought it and mailed it to me. My growing season here is too short for it to grow large root. But I did harvest some usable roots
This picture is what I download from internet. It can grow somewhere around 3 feet long
I don’t know much about the yam, only know which one taste good😊 .maybe this is a part of Dioscorea polystachya?
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I have never eaten a dioscorea, but have probably 60 starts of various types in the works now thanks to Caesar, the Asian markets and other kind individuals. Now where to put them all? D
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Hello Cesar , I grow many yam types as well . Can you forward a way to acquire these various types of bulbiferas? Thank you
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My bulbifera start to sprout today… 
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If you have an Asian market they should have multiple types of dioscorea. Easy and cheap. They should also have turmeric, gingers, balanced and lots of other things you can start.
EBay etc. can supply a bunch of stuff.
Caesar has good experience growing these things. I’m sure he’ll respond. Dan.
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Galangal, not balanced. I hate spell correction.D
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It looks incredible! And definitely seems like a polystachya. Lemme know if you ever come across them again, I’d love to propagate that one!
Location is the biggest problem! It’s all well and good when you have a lot of land, but when you live in the suburbs, it gets progressively harder to find space for 20+ varieties of 60 foot vines.
PM sent.
Do make sure to retain at least 1 bulbil for planting from each “Hawaii” harvest. That variety has proven to be a fickle tuber-producer for me. Some vines generate a decent underground tuber, others disappear without a trace after dieback (even large, vigorous vines). You risk losing it if you don’t keep a bulbil (I would advise it for all varieties, even reliable tuberizers like CV-1).
Not many Asian Markets here, but they are a reliable source of several types of Dioscorea in the mainland states, and lots of other goodies. Over here Dioscorea is one of the viands of choice, but there’s not much variety in the markets (there’s hidden gold in the mountains though). Over here it’s mostly rotundata and alata “Florido” in the markets.
A couple of weeks ago I actually found a feral bulbifera growing on a roadside in Real Anón, Juana Díaz. So have I named it “Real Anón”. No idea if it’s edible, but I brought back several bulbils to grow. I gotta watch where I grow it though… the phenotype seems indistinguishable from CV-1 (which I obtained directly from India). I wouldn’t be surprised if it came here during the experimental trials of the Ag Research Station… they did mention a sativa as being a particularly productive variety.
I’m also about to grow Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) among my Dioscoreas. I’m keen on tasting the root and seeing how it compares.
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Hello my friend! So do you think i should take it out?
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Caesar, I PMed you. Let me know. This one, so far demand is way higher than supply, has great market.
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WOOOT!!! Thank you!
Dig it up if the vine died back, check it out. If the tuber’s there, you can replant it. Otherwise, you’ll have to start a bulbil for your next vine.
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Thank you Caesar!
I came across this today…
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Thank you! Very interesting. I’ve yet to have good results with potatoes in the tropics given the loads of pests and diseases they’re susceptible to. I still dream of breeding, TPS style, potatoes adapted to my local soil and conditions, but aeroponics could be a great way to get a harvest without the crop being ruined here.
Air potato has quite ornamental leaves. It as beautiful as a houseplant. Plus it grows potatoes which makes it more interesting(thanks Caesar for sharing the seed/a large potato)
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Luis if you have dioscorea bulbils to spare, I’ll happily buy some from you. I’m based in Spain:)
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Hi! Infortunately i didn’t manage to grow them. They didn’t formed bulbils. I don’t think i have the best weather to grow them…