Common Name: Native yam, Water yam, White yam
Binomial Nomenclature: Dioscorea alata L.
Culinary Use: Root - cooked. Usually boiled or baked and used as a vegetable
Medicinal Use: have been purported to be used as a preventive or therapeutic medicine against several ailments including arthritis, cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, high cholesterol, and inflammation.
Fun Fact: Wild yam has been shown to interact with certain medications. For example, it can interact with estradiol, which is a substance used in certain borth control pills or hormone replacement therapies.