Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Air potato  (Dioscorea bulbifera), also known as Vine potato, is a true Yam. In Sanskrit, air potato is named as Varahi, while in Marathi it is called as Karanda and in Malayalam it is Kaachil. It is a large perennial vine with underground tubers which are edible. As monsoon ends, the vine starts withering and, around November, it goes dormant. In April the underground tubers start new growth again. Its heart shaped leaves are quite attractive. The stems are fluted and as they grow, they look as if they are twisted.

Dioscorea bulbifera vine

Root tubers

This climber has bulbils that grow in leaf axils of the vine and are called as 'Air potato'. These bulbils are also edible. When cooked, they taste somewhat like potatoes; hence the common name. These climbers which are found growing naturally in Konkan region of Maharashtra, India are very dark brown in colour and their skin is covered with many wart-like rough protuberances. There is a variety with bulbils which are very bitter.

Fluted and twisted stem with bulbil growing from the leaf axil.

Bulbils from Konkan region.

On my visit to Nainital. In Uttarakhand, India, I saw a vegetable vendor selling bulbils looking almost like potatoes. These had hardly any wart-like outgrowth on them. I have succeeded in growing them in the Konkan area. Here they grow a bit darker than the original ones, which may be due to climate, but the taste has not changed.

Bulbils from Nainital

Inflorescence of this climber is pendant with clusters of tiny flowers. The fruit is a capsule.

Inflorescence

Capsule of Dioscorea bulbifera

Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth has developed a variety which is very light coloured but has wart-like growth on them.

Dioscorea bulbifera var. developed by Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth

This plant is native to India. It is propagated with bulbils collected in the previous year. The harvested bulbils must be stored in well ventilated bags. In plastic bags they get affected with fungus and would be useless for consumption or for propagation.