ຫົວກອຍ
Asiatic Bitter Yam
Dioscorea hispida Dennst.
Plants
Herbaceous plants
Vegetables and herbs
Dioscorea hispida var. reticulata (Hook.f.) Sanjappa
Helmia daemona (Roxb.) Kunth
Helmia hirsuta (Blume) Kunth
Ecology
Use
Medicine
Koi tubers are eaten as a substitute for rice during food shortages. However, the poison in the tubers must be removed before this yam can be eaten: a piece of raw tuber the size of an apple will paralyse the central nervous system and is sufficient to kill a man in six hours. Koi starch is used to make sweets, usually eaten with sticky rice, while the tubers also have several medicinal qualities. They are commonly used to heal skin diseases or irritations and aching joints, and in Thailand slices of tuber are applied to relieve stomach muscle cramps and to clean wounds. The poison is used on arrowheads and in fishing, and in India to kill tigers by hiding it in the carcasses of cattle. In Malaysia Koi has been used as an antiseptic and it is also known to possess insecticidal properties.
Nutrition
Nutrient | /100g | Remark |
---|---|---|
Proteins | N/A | N/A |
Carbohydrates | N/A | N/A |
Fats | N/A | N/A |
Vitamins | N/A | N/A |
Minerals | N/A | N/A |
Fibers | N/A | N/A |
References
National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute.
Burkill, I.H., 1951. Dioscoreaceae. Dioscorea hispida. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (Editor): Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 4. Noordhoff-Kolff, Djakarta, Indonesia. pp. 318-320.
Rao, P.S. & Beri, R.M., 1952. Tubers of Dioscorea hispida Dennst. The Indian Forester 78(3): 146-152.
Onwueme, I.C., 1978. The tropical tuber crops. Wiley, Chichester, United Kingdom. pp. 3-106.
Wilkin, P. & Thapyai, C. (2009). Flora of Thailand 10(1): 1-140. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.