Flora-Fauna

Dioscorea orientalis (J.Thiébaut) Caddick & Wilkin
(First published in Taxon 51(1): 112 (2002); basionym: Tamus orientalis J.Thiébaut, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 81: 119 (1934); Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. XCVII nº 1; 1966, as Tamus orientalis J.Thiébaut)

• Life-form & habit : Perennial tuberous geophyte; tuber napiform, about the size of a walnut; stems annual, twining, simple or slightly branched, rarely exceeding 1 m.

• Leaves : Alternate, petiolate; blades ovate, acuminate, usually not exceeding 3 cm long; petiole glandular at the base.

• Inflorescence & flowers : Plants dioecious; flowers sessile, borne on pendent axillary spikes with the axis slightly flexuous between the flowers; male racemes often paired, 10–20-flowered; female racemes 1–7-flowered; perianth campanulate, white, fragrant, with 6 tepals spreading star-like at the end of anthesis; male flowers with 6 stamens; female flowers smaller, with 3 stigmas and 6 staminodes.

• Fruit : Berry oblong, c. 1 cm long, red at maturity.

• Phenology : Flowers from December to February.

• Habitat & elevation : Rocks and rocky places, especially in coastal and lower montane habitats.

• Lebanese distribution : Recorded above Naqoura, Nahr Aouali, Sa‘adiyat and Ras Beirut.

• Native range : Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.

• Diagnostic remarks : Treated by Mouterde as Tamus orientalis; distinguished from Dioscorea communis by its shorter stems, smaller ovate leaves, glandular petiole base, pendent flexuous axillary spikes, white fragrant flowers and oblong rather than globose red berries.