Kanta Alu / Fiji Yam
Dioscorea pentaphylla
Also known as Kawan Yam
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- August-December
How to identify Kanta Alu
Identify Kanta Alu by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a climber habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Leaflets divided into five parts.
- Confirm leaf shape: Palmately compound (leaflets radiate from one point).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Dioscoreaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Kanta Alu.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Dioscorea pentaphylla
- Genus
- Dioscorea
- Family
- Dioscoreaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Degraded deciduous forests and waste places, also in sacred groves
- Distribution
- India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Australia, Papua New Guinea
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Palmately compound (leaflets radiate from one point)recorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kanta Alu itself; the rest are typical of the Dioscoreaceae family.
Local Names
- Hindi
- कांटा आलू Kanta Alu, फल आलू Phal Alu
- Nepali
- रानी भ्याकुर Raanee Bhyaakur, मिठे तरुल Mithe Tarul, जगल्टे भ्याकुर Jagalte Bhyakur
- Bengali
- কাঁটা আলু Kanta Alu, কাঁটা আলু
- Tamil
- காட்டுவள்ளி Kattu-Valli, நூறை Nurai, வள்ளி (கொடி)
- Telugu
- అడవి గినుసు తీగ Adavi Ginusu Tiga, అడవి గుమ్మడి తీగ Adavi Gummadi Tiga, చెంచు గడ్డ Chenchu Gadda
- Kannada
- ಕಾಡು ಗುಂಬಳ Kaadu Gumbala
- Malayalam
- കാട്ടുകിഴങ്ങ് Kattukizhangu, മരക്കിഴങ്ങ് Marakkizhangu, നല്ലനൂറ Nallanura
- Marathi
- गाबोळी Gaaboli, मुंडावळया Mundavalya, शॆंडवेल Shendvel
About Kanta Alu
Fiji yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla) belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family, where it grows as a climber. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and 11 other states. It grows in degraded deciduous forests and waste places, also in sacred groves. Flowering and fruiting run from August to December.
Dioscoreaceae
Yam Family
Kanta Alu belongs to the Dioscoreaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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