Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_7303.JPG-07-09-2023
Flower name (scientific): Dioscorea villosa Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) dy-oh-SKOR-ee-uh vil-OH-suh
Flower name (common): Wild Yam
Family name (common): Yam
Family name (scientific): Dioscoreaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Named for the Greek physician and naturalist Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40 – 90 AD).
    Specific epithet: With soft hairs.
Common name origin: For the habit and the starchy tuberous root of different species of Dioscorea.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm)
     Petal count: 6
     Color: yellow
     Other: flower arrangement, Raceme
Plant description:
     Size: 72 to 196 inches (1.8 to 5 m) long.
     Stem hairy: mostly glabrous.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate and/or whorl, type is simple.
     Size: Leaves about the same length and width, range from about 3 to 13 cm long and about 2 to 13 cm wide.
     Color: medium green
     Hairy: upper surface glabrous, under surface sparsely to densely pubescent, particularly along veins, or glabrous.
     Other: Shape: leaf, ovate-cordate (FNA), narrowly cordate to cordate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): June to July
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woods, roadsides, savannas, thickets, river and lake margins, marshes, sandy to rocky soil, moist to dry, semi shade to sun.
Fruit: Capsules, green to greenish-yellow turning brown with age, 3-winged, about 2.5 cm in length.
Seed: About 5 to 18 mm in length, dark brown colored.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: The Meskwaki prepared from the roots a pain reliever for women giving birth (Smith, p. 220, 1928).
Latitude: 44.795727
Longitude: -91.501928
Altitude: 331.40
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 1 homotypic synonym for this species.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 26 heterotypic synonyms for this species.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FAC
Wetland Status (MW): FAC