Dioscorea althaeoides R. Knuth

Rhizome horizontal, little branched, cylindric, 0.7--1.5 cm thick. Stem twining to left, sparsely hirsute, glabrescent. Leaves alternate, simple; petiole 5--12 cm; leaf blade drying greenish, orbicular to broadly ovate, usually 4--7-lobed or coarsely toothed, 10--17 × 10--13 cm, veins abaxially tomentose, basal veins 9 or 11, outermost ones sometimes pedately divided, base cordate with rounded sinus, margin undulate to distinctly coarsely toothed, apex acute to acuminate. Male spikes solitary or paired, sometimes branched, to 28 cm; axis puberulent. Male flowers: usually in lax cymules of 2--5; pedicel 2--3 mm; bract to 1 mm; bracteoles absent; perianth dull olive green, bowl-shaped, ca. 1.5 mm, lobes spreading; stamens 6, inserted at base of perianth, filaments incurved, short. Female spikes solitary or 2 or 3 together, 40- or more flowered. Female flowers: bracts lanceolate; staminodes filiform or absent. Capsule straw-colored, shiny, ca. 2.5 cm, base gradually narrowed, apex slightly widened; wings ca. 0.7 cm wide. Seeds inserted near base of capsule, ca. 8 mm; wing pointing toward capsule apex. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Sep.

Guizhou, Sichuan, E Xizang (Bomi Xian, Qamdo Xian), Yunnan [Thailand].

Mixed forests, mountain slopes, ravines, roadsides; 1400--3200 m.

Dioscorea platanifolia Prain & Burkill.

Dioscorea althaeoides is a herbaceous vine in the genus Dioscorea which is indigenous to the Guizhou, Sichuan, and eastern Xizang provinces of China, in addition to the Yunnan area in Thailand. A formerly unknown acetylated spirostanol saponin, dioscin-6′-O-acetate, has been discovered in the rhizomes of the plant.

Dioscorea althaeoides là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Dioscoreaceae. Loài này được R.Knuth mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1924.

蜀葵叶薯蓣（学名：Dioscorea althaeoides）为薯蓣科薯蓣属的植物，为中国的特有植物。分布在中国大陆的西藏、四川、云南、贵州等地，生长于海拔1,000米至2,000米的地区，见于路边的杂木林下、沟旁、山坡或林缘，目前尚未由人工引种栽培。