Family : Dioscoreaceae

English : Potato yam

Hindi : Zaminkand

Gujarati : Varahikand

Sanskrit : Varahikand

Part used : Tuber

Botanical Description: A perennial slender, extensive, bulbil bearing twiner with tuberous root. The leaves are braodly ovate, cordate, alternate, and simple. The bulbils develop in the leaf axils. Flowers are in axillary. pendulous spikes. Fruit capsules. Flowering and fruiting from August to December.

It occurs in the major parts of India.

Modern Pharmacological Action: It is widely used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine in the treatment of sore throat, gastric cancer and carcinoma of rectum, and goiter. The various extracts of bulbs of the plant have been reported to be antihyperlipidemic, antitumor, antioxidant, anorexiant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory, plasmid curing and antihyperglycemic.