Dioscorea villosa

Dioscorea villosa. This is a vine, it is a perennial which can reach a height of 3 Meters (10 feet ). Perhaps even longer stems occur. The stem is slender, rarely branched and tends to twine right to left or counterclockwise but this may not be apparent. Leaves: The leaves are alternate. The lowest leaves may appear whorled. Each leaf is entire, cordate, with tapering tip and seven to eleven parallel veins. They may be hairy (villos) on the underside. Flowers: The flowers have 6 Regular Parts and are up to 0.5cm wide (0.2 inches). They are green. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into early summer. The flowers are in loose straggling clusters.

The pharmacological actions of Dioscorea villosa are Anti-fatigue, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-spasmodic, Cholagogue, Estrogenic, Hypocholesterolemic.

The indications of Dioscorea villosa are Abdominal Cramps, High Cholesterol, Hypertriglyceridemia, Spasm.

Taste: Unpleasant.

The active constituents of Dioscorea villosa are Aluminum, Ascorbic Acid, Ash, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Dioscin, Dioscorin, Diosgenin, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Proteins, Riboflavin, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, ß-carotene, Thiamine, Tin, Zinc.