Chinese The bulbils can overwinter andform vinesinspring.The new bulbilscan overwinter , muchthesameasa smallpieceofapotato willcreate . anew to vegetative growth. Even asmallpieceof abulbilwillsprout into anew inthewild. have Spread, notbeenobserved therefore, islimited plant produces maleandfemale flowers onseparate plants, and female toare produce notknown seedinthiscountry, probably because the The tiny white orgreenish-yellow flowers smellofcinnamon,but alternate toward thetipofplant. growth. Leaves are usuallyopposite, butcanbe reddish colorationatthebaseofleafonnew base oftheleaf. There isusually adiagnostic shapedwithacoupleoflobestoward the heart veins and are fiddle shaped ortypically sometimes The green leaves have seven to nineparallel nitrogen habitats. associated withriparian but ismostaggressive in loamsoilsrich insilty istolerant ofmostsoilconditions, shade. It partial cangrowIt infullsunto fullshade, butprefers and roadsides, infencerows andatoldhomesites. bottomland forests, alongstreambanks, drainages becomesestablishedinmesic purposes. It or rodents orintopsoil moved for construction to locationsby new water can beeasilycarried these bulbils,drop whichtypically off thevineand sproutaxils ofitsleaves. from vinesquickly New small bulbilsthatresemble littlepotatoes inthe Chineseyamisanaggressive vine, forming strongly discouraged. plant,butitsuseshouldbe sold asanornamental continuesto be It Missouri. counties insouthern and centralUnited States, includinganumberof mid 1980s, itisnow found throughout theeastern medicinal uses. Having escapedcultivationby the inthe1800sforAmerica ornamental, food and potato. wasbrought from It Chinato North ascinnamonvineorair batatas) alsoisknown ( oppositifolia,syn.D. Background, Life History

Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Susan Farrington Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org River to Chris Evans, Bugwood.org Kentucky Eastern University, Evans, Troy

Native wild yams have heart-shaped leaves. Like potatoes, even a small To identify Chinese yams, look for piece of a bulbil can sprout fiddle-shaped leaves. New leaves into a new plant. often are red around the edges.

Impacts Native Look-alikes The of the aggressive Chinese yam can overtake Our native wild yams (Dioscorea quaternata and D. villosa) acres, smothering plants on the ground as well as shrubs might easily be mistaken for Chinese yam, but pose and trees, blocking their access to light. Its heavy vines no invasive risk. Our native yams do not have reddish are capable of breaking off limbs of larger trees, similar coloration on new leaves, and do not produce bulbils in to kudzu. It outcompetes and displaces native plants, their leaf axils. Their fruits are a three-winged , and reducing plant diversity, and is of little value for wildlife. their leaves are strongly heart-shaped.

Control Alternative Native Plants Manual and mechanical control is difficult, due to the Wild yam (Dioscorea quaternata or ) plants deep, tuberous roots. It should only be attempted Wild potato vine ( pandurata) in very small populations. All pieces of the tuber must carefully be removed or resprouting may occur. Follow-up For Additional Information monitoring is necessary because bulbils in the soil may www.imapinvasives.org/GIST/ESA/esapages/diosoppo.html germinate over several years. Herbicides have been shown to be effective. Triclopyr www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/diop.htm is successful as a 2 percent solution. Glyphosate also may www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=296 be effective at a 2 percent solution, but it is possible that www.texasinvasives.org/invasives_database/detail. higher concentrations will be required. The best time to php?symbol=DIOP apply is after the leaves have expanded, but before the bulbils ripen.

www.MissouriConservation.org Chinese Yam For more information or to report a Missouri Department of Conservation population, contact your local Missouri Invasive Species Coordinator Department of Conservation office, e-mail P.O. Box 180 [email protected], or write: Jefferson City, MO 65102–0180

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