A native of Asia, the air potato was first introduced into Florida in 1905. The air potato leaf beetle, Lilioceris cheni Gressit & Kimono (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), native to Nepal and China, was first released in Florida in 2011 (Figure 8). This method can work in areas that are not heavily infested. It's also used to treat sores, swelling, hemorrhoids, sore throats, and diabetes. 2011). Question: I have a vine growing in my yard that I was told was an air potato. Plant experts believe that the first air potato plant introduced to America was sent to a botanist in Orlando, Florida, in 1905 to be considered as a desirable ornamental and possible food crop. Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is a vine in the true yam family native to Africa, south Asia, and northern Australia. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Both the adult beetles and the larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of the Air Potato vine. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without their express permission. A native of Asia, the air potato was first introduced into Florida in 1905. ( Log Out /  It was introduced into Florida in 1905, and has since escaped cultivation and become extremely aggressive. Why is air potato a problem in Florida? For what it's worth in this particular debate, the air potato leaf beetle mentioned above as a biological control, is of Asian origin. Plant experts believe that the first air potato plant introduced to America was sent to a botanist in Orlando, Florida, in 1905 to be considered as a desirable ornamental and possible food crop. Because the air potato didn’t have any natural enemies in Florida after it was introduced in 1905, it was able to overtake native organisms and strangle competing vegetation. It twines counterclockwise. Change ). They drop to the ground in the fall and produce new plants in the spring. Many, such as air potato, have been introduced as landscape plants and have gotten out of control. Water is also a major means of dispersal, so care must be taken to first eliminate populations along water bodies where bulbils may be easily spread. Have the beetles helped? According to the University of Florida's Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, nonnative yams such as air potato are very toxic and should not be eaten. These are small Chinese beetles that look like red or brown Ladybugs without the black spots. It is an herbaceous, perennial twining vine that can grow up 8 inches per day and to over 70 feet in length. Air potato leaves are used as a poultice for pimples and tumors and in bath water to soothe skin irritations and stings. At "Hidden History", we’ll look at forgotten stories from history, strange and little-known discoveries in science, and the history behind the exhibits in some of the most famous (and not-so-famous) museums in the world. It was brought to the Americas from Africa during the slave trade (Coursey 1967), and introduced to Florida in 1905 (Morton 1976). And spread and spread. Bulbils are the primary mechanism of spread, and research has shown even minutely small propagules can sprout and form new plants. Did you release air potato leaf beetles only to have them seemingly disappear the following year? Air potato is a member of the yam family (Dio… In its native range, It puts out both male and female flowers but it rarely flowers at all in Florida and isn't known ever to have produced male flowers here. Question: I have a vine growing in my yard that I was told was an air potato. And one of these isDioscorea bulbifera, known as the Air Yam or the Air Potato. In many species, the rootstock contains toxins which must be leached or cooked out for the plant to be safe for humans. You can ID air potato from its heart-shaped leaves, with the veins radiating outward from the leaf base. These grow into new plants. Florida's air potato population originated in Africa. Air potato, photographed at Woodmont Natural Area,Tamarac, Broward County, in October 2014. The leaves are shiny, alternate on the stem, rather than opposite. However, we do know that the earlier beetles are released in the spring, the longer they will have to multiply and feed before the vines naturally die back in the winter. By 2006 the vine infested an estimated 25% of Florida. It was introduced to the United States via the slave trade and reached Florida in 1905. The air potato, Dioscorea bulbifera, is the familiar story of an idea that seemed good at the the time but really was a nightmare waiting to happen. Nehring also sent a few plants to the US Department of Agriculture and asked them to evaluate the Air Potato’s usefulness as a commercial food crop. It is widely cultivated and has become naturalized in many regions (Latin America, the West Indies, the Southeastern United States, and various oceanic islands). Because the yam vines have large attractive shiny leaves, some species, though inedible, have also been widely grown by gardeners as an ornamental garden plant. "Air potato vines were brought into Florida in the early 1900s and are now found in 60 out of 67 Florida counties and six other states," Gioeli said. USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, National Forests in Florida, September 2000, Protection Report R8-PR 45. As the tale is told, long about 1905, famed Florida naturalist Henry Nehrling got the notion that air potato might have potential as a food crop or ornamental plant, and sent samples to a government researcher in Orlando. Is a non-native, exotic plant (from tropical Asia, Africa) … More... Air Potato Art by Mindy Lighthipe. The first recorded description of the Air Potato in the US was in 1777, in a garden in Mobile, Alabama. Efforts to control the Air Potato have been hampered by its biology.