Plants

yellow yam

Dioscorea cayennensis Lam.

Family: Dioscoreaceae · Genus: Dioscorea

Guinea yam

Placenta II Medium No biomass production

yellow yam — Tomwsulcer · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Tuber-bearing climber cultivated in the medium stratum of syntropic systems. Pasini lists yam in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 and in the '1 to 3 years' phase of Tabela 4. Widely cultivated in northeastern and Amazonian agroforestry systems.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Placenta II
Ecological role: Pioneer
Primary stratum: Medium
Strata: Medium, Low
Biomass class: No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement: Partial sun
Water requirement: High
Drought tolerance: Low
Soil pH range: 6–6.7
Preferred soil texture: Sandy, Loamy
Hardiness zones: 10–13

Morphology

Mature height: 1–4 m
Root system: Fibrous
Root depth: Medium
Growth rate: Fast
Lifespan: ≤ 2 years
Time to first harvest: 9 months

Biomes & climate

Amazon Naturalized
Atlantic Forest Naturalized
Caatinga Naturalized

Köppen classes

Tropical rainforest (Af) Suitable
Tropical monsoon (Am) Suitable
Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Yellow yam takes the Medium stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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🪴 Cultivation

Prefers fertile, well-drained sandy-to-loamy soils, pH 6–6.7 (tolerates 5.3–8); poor soils reduce yield. Spiny vine up to 10–12 m trained on living support. Long days (>12 h) favor vegetative growth; short days late in the cycle trigger tuber formation.