What do yam leaves look like? Pictures of yam leaves

1. Leaf shape

The leaves of yam generally vary greatly, ranging in shape from triangular to broadly oval, and some are even halberd-shaped. As a simple leaf, the lower part of the stem is often alternate, the middle and upper parts are opposite, and there are also cases where the leaves are arranged in whorls of three, but it is rare. The leaves are between 3-9 cm long and 2-7 cm wide. The top is relatively pointed, and the base is deep and wide heart-shaped. The margin has three lobes, the middle lobe is elliptical or lanceolate, and the side lobes are ear-shaped.

2. Rhizome appearance

The stem of yam is divided into above-ground stem and underground stem. The above-ground stem is purple-red, usually right-handed, and has no hair on the surface. The underground stem is a tuber, which is long and cylindrical in shape, generally grows vertically, and can reach 1 meter in length. There are a large number of adventitious roots on the surface of the tuber, and some of them will have main roots growing at the bottom. There are terminal buds at the root neck and adventitious buds in other places.

3. Flower and fruit appearance

Yam is dioecious, and its male inflorescence is spike-shaped, 2-8 cm long, usually erect, with 2-8 growing from the leaf axils, occasionally arranged in a cone shape. Its inflorescence axis is zigzag, with purple-brown spots on the bracts and petals. The outer petals of the male flower are broadly ovate, the inner petals are oblate, and there are 6 stamens. The female inflorescence is also spike-shaped, with 1-3 inflorescences growing between the leaf axils. Its fruit is a capsule, which is oblate or round in shape, less than 2 cm long, and has white powder on the surface.