Dioscorea elephantipes

It is a deciduous climber. It takes the name "elephant's foot" from the appearance of its large, partially buried, tuberous stem or caudex, which grows very slowly but often reaches a considerable size, often more than in circumference with a height of nearly above ground. This tuber can weigh as much as 365 kg. It is rich in starch, whence the name Hottentot bread, and is covered on the outside with thick, hard, corky plates. Primarily a winter grower, it develops slender, leafy, climbing shoots with dark-spotted, greenish-yellow flowers in winter (May or June in habitat) The flowers are dioecious, with male or female flowers occurring on separate plants. ==Distribution==

Its natural habitat is the arid inland regions of the Cape, stretching from the centre of the Northern Cape (where it occurs around Springbok), south to the Clanwilliam & Cederberg area, and eastwards through the districts of Graaff Reinet, Uniondale and Willowmore, as far as Grahamstown. It was recently rediscovered in a section of the Northern Cape Province by an expedition collecting seeds for the Millennium Seed Bank Project. In this area, it is most common on rocky north & east-facing slopes, in quartz or shale based soils. ==Cultivation==

This species is not difficult to cultivate, however it requires extremely coarse, well-drained soil, and sparse watering. Importantly, it is deciduous and loses its leaves in the summer. At this time it goes through a dry dormancy period. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Sun and shade In nature, the caudex is usually in shade beneath thicket vegetation, and only the leafy tendrils reach up to the sunlight. Therefore, the caudex is sensitive to prolonged exposure to heat and full sunlight, and a dappled-sun or semi-shaded position is preferable. The green vine tendrils however, thrive if they are able to reach partial or full sunlight. Soil This plant grows naturally in brush on rocky slopes, so it requires extremely well-drained soil, with a large (at least 50%) mineral component. Temperatures In cultivation in temperate areas, D. elephantipes can tolerate temperatures to −4 °C in habitat. ==Gallery==

File:Discoreaceae - Testudinaria elephantipes.JPG|Large tuberous stem File:Dioscorea elephantipes 03 ies.jpg|Leaves File:Testudinaria elephantipes montana1.jpg|Flowers ==References==