Dioscorea elephantipes, the elephant's foot or Hottentot bread, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae, native to the dry interior of South Africa.
It is a deciduous climber. It takes the name "elephant's foot" from the appearance of its large, partially buried, tuberous stem, which grows very slowly but often reaches a considerable size, often more than 3 m (10 ft) in circumference with a height of nearly 1 m (3 ft 3 in) above ground. It is rich in starch, whence the name Hottentot bread, and is covered on the outside with thick, hard, corky plates.[1] It requires significant processing before being eaten to remove toxic compounds.
Primarily a winter grower, it develops slender, leafy, climbing shoots[1] with dark-spotted, greenish-yellow flowers in winter (May or June in habitat)[2] The flowers are dioecious, with male or female flowers occurring on separate plants.
Its natural habitat is the arid inland regions of the Cape, stretching from the centre of the Northern Cape (where it occurs around Springbok), south to the Clanwilliam & Cederberg area, and eastwards through the districts of Graaff Reinet, Uniondale and Willowmore, as far as Grahamstown.
It was recently rediscovered in a section of the Northern Cape Province by an expedition collecting seeds for the Millennium Seed Bank Project.
In this area, it is most common on rocky north & east-facing slopes, in quartz or shale based soils.[3][4]
This species is not difficult to cultivate, however it requires extremely coarse, well-drained soil, and sparse watering. Importantly, it is deciduous and loses its leaves in the summer. At this time it goes through a dry dormancy period. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[5][6]
This species indicates when it is requiring water, by the presence of green growth. From when a new growth appears from the caudex, it can receive regular watering, up until the growth withers and dies back. This is when the plant goes into its summer dormancy. Then watering should become more rare - until the next new growth appears.
The cycle can be extremely unpredictable or erratic, but in most cases this results in a watering regime of wetter winter and spring, and a dry summer dormancy period.[7]
In nature, the caudex is usually in shade beneath thicket vegetation, and only the leafy tendrils reach up to the sunlight. Therefore, the caudex is sensitive to prolonged exposure to heat and full sunlight, and a dappled-sun or semi-shaded position is preferable. The green vine tendrils however, thrive if they are able to reach partial or full sunlight.[8]
This plant grows naturally in brush on rocky slopes, so it requires extremely well-drained soil, with a large (at least 50%) mineral component.
In cultivation in temperate areas, D. elephantipes can tolerate temperatures to -4 °C in habitat.
The large tuberous stem of Dioscorea elephantipes at the botanical garden of Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini, Genova Pegli.
Leaves
Flowers
Dioscorea elephantipes, the elephant's foot or Hottentot bread, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae, native to the dry interior of South Africa.
Dioscorea elephantipes est une espèce de plantes tubéreuses du genre Dioscorea de la famille des Dioscoreaceae. Elle est originaire du sud-ouest de l'Afrique du Sud, incluant la région du Cap.
Elle est surnommée Pied d'éléphant en raison de sa grosse tige tubéreuse, qui croît très lentement, mais peut atteindre une taille considérable, jusqu'à 3 m de circonférence et 1 m de hauteur.
Elle est riche en amidon, d'où son autre surnom de Pain des Hottentots. Sur l'extérieur, elle est couverte de plaques d'écorces épaisses et dures. Elle développe des tiges grimpantes munies de feuilles qui tombent à la mauvaise saison.
Dioscorea elephantipes est une espèce de plantes tubéreuses du genre Dioscorea de la famille des Dioscoreaceae. Elle est originaire du sud-ouest de l'Afrique du Sud, incluant la région du Cap.
Elle est surnommée Pied d'éléphant en raison de sa grosse tige tubéreuse, qui croît très lentement, mais peut atteindre une taille considérable, jusqu'à 3 m de circonférence et 1 m de hauteur.
Elle est riche en amidon, d'où son autre surnom de Pain des Hottentots. Sur l'extérieur, elle est couverte de plaques d'écorces épaisses et dures. Elle développe des tiges grimpantes munies de feuilles qui tombent à la mauvaise saison.
Dioscorea elephantipes[1] är en enhjärtbladig växtart som först beskrevs av Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle och fick sitt nu gällande namn av Adolf Engler. Dioscorea elephantipes ingår i släktet Dioscorea och familjen Dioscoreaceae.[2][3] Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.[2]
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Dioscorea elephantipes är en enhjärtbladig växtart som först beskrevs av Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle och fick sitt nu gällande namn av Adolf Engler. Dioscorea elephantipes ingår i släktet Dioscorea och familjen Dioscoreaceae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.
Dioscorea elephantipes là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Dioscoreaceae. Loài này được (L'Hér.) Engl. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1908.[1]
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Dioscorea elephantipes là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Dioscoreaceae. Loài này được (L'Hér.) Engl. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1908.
キッコウリュウ（亀甲竜[1]、Dioscorea elephantipes(ディオスコレア・エレファンティペス[1])、英: elephant's foot、アフリカーンス語: Hottentotsbrood)は、ヤマノイモ科ヤマノイモ属（ディオスコレア属）に属する落葉性多年生植物[1]。
茎頂から1本の蔓が伸びるためツルカメソウ（蔓亀草）とも呼ばれる[2]。また、英名elephant's footは直訳すると「ゾウの足」。そのためゾウノアシソウ（象の足草）とも呼ばれる[2]。種小名elephantipesもここから。シノニムの属名Testudinariaはカメに由来する。これは塊茎が亀甲状であることから。
南アフリカ原産。高さ約50cm、幅約1mで生育は極めて遅い[1]。木質でドーム型の塊茎を持つ多肉植物[1]。塊茎（塊状の根茎）は直径30-100cm，表面には木質の角張ったこぶ状の突起があり亀甲状となっている[2]。一年生の蔓状茎を伸ばす[1]。花は黄色で、秋に開花する[1]。耐えることのできる最も低い温度は10℃[1]。日向を好み、土壌は水捌けの良いところを好む[1]。
ドーム型の巨大な塊茎
塊茎。亀甲模様をしている。
葉。
黄色い花。
キッコウリュウ（亀甲竜、Dioscorea elephantipes(ディオスコレア・エレファンティペス)、英: elephant's foot、アフリカーンス語: Hottentotsbrood)は、ヤマノイモ科ヤマノイモ属（ディオスコレア属）に属する落葉性多年生植物。
