Tanay I hope you can dig out the differences between D. oppositifolia and D. polystachya, first occurring only in India and latter in China, Japan and also grown in USA. Many people in error consider them to be synonymous, but I think they are distinct. I could not find clear cut differences.
-- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ On Sun, May 16, 2010 at 6:17 PM, tanay bose <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Gurcharan ji, > > > > Nice photos. The genus *Dioscorea *contain a medicinally important > secondary metabolite known as Diosgenin, a steroid sapogenin, is the > product of hydrolysis by acids, strong bases, or enzymes of saponins, > extracted from the tubers of Dioscorea wild yam, such as the > Kokoro<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoro_%28vegetable%29>. > The sugar-free (aglycone), diosgenin is used for the commercial synthesis of > cortisone, pregnenolone, progesterone, and other steroid products. > > It is present in *Costus speciosus*, *Smilax menispermoidea*, species of * > Paris*, *Trigonella*, and *Trillium<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium> > *, and many species of *Dioscorea - D. althaeoides, colletti, > futschauensis, gracillima, hispida, hypoglauca, > mexicana*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosgenin#cite_note-urlDioscorea_mexicana_information_from_NPGS.2FGRIN-0> > *nipponica, panthaica, parviflora, septemloba*, and *zingiberensis*. > > Diosgenin is the precursor for the semisynthesis of progesterone which in > turn was used in early combined oral contraceptive pills. The unmodified > steroid has estrogenic > activity<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosgenin#cite_note-pmid15372201-4> > and can reduce the level of serum cholesterol. > > Regards > > Tanay > > On Sun, May 16, 2010 at 4:05 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Dioscorea oppositifolia L. from Delhi University Botanical Garden, Delhi. >> This species grows only in India, but is often confused with Chinese yam D. >> polystachya. >> >> Sans: amlardraka, sarpakhya; Tel: Yellagadda, adairdumpa; Tam: >> Kavalakodi, velilai valli; Hindi: Matti Aloo; Mal: Kachil; Mar: Paspoli, >> gilandru; Oriya: Pittaloo; Kan: Inasara, nirbatte. >> Underground tubers often reaching size of up to 10 kg are cooked as >> vegetable. Tubers are ground and applied to swellings also. >> >> -- >> Dr. Gurcharan Singh >> Retired Associate Professor >> SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >> Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >> Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >> http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ >> >> > > > -- > Tanay Bose > +91(033) 25550676 (Resi) > 9830439691(Mobile) > 9674221362 (Mobile) > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en.
