Dioscorea esculenta

Chinese yam, lesser yam

A variety of yam that produces small egg-shaped tubers which lie shallow in the soil. The tubers are very sweet and white in colour, and the peel is very thin. This species is most suitable for garden planting. At lower altitudes in the tropics it can be grown in place of the Irish potato. The peelings are used for pig feed.

					As % of dry matter
				DM	CP	CF	Ash	EE	NFE	Ca	P	Ref
Fresh tubers,
Nigeria				18.6	8.7	3.5	4.2	0.5	83.1	0.15	0.15	374
Fresh tubers,
peeled, Nigeria				18.6	7.7	1.0	2.7	0.1	88.5			"
Fresh peelings,
Nigeria				7.0	10.0	7.6	6.3	0.9	75.2			"