Aroid Forum: Re: Off topic question, Dioscorea sp.!

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Re: Off topic question, Dioscorea sp.!

From: Ron Weeks rhweeks at attglobal.net> on 2001.12.29 at 18:30:20(7990)
Julius, What a cheap way to get your off topic question answered.
Dioscorea related to Araceae? Beware the "air amorphophallus potato".
The thought is too good to be true. I'm sure that if they were edible
the departed Monroe Birdsey would have been handing out bags full of
them along with his favorite recipe. The pest plant is alive and well in
South Florida. The turnpike recently introduced it with new landscaping
in my neighborhood. This University of Florida link says Dioscorea
bulbifera contains the steroid diosgenin a principal material used to
make birth control pills. http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/diobul.html
As I was saying, yes they are edible. Delicious!

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