Dioscorea mexicana: A Living Sculpture

Dioscorea mexicana is a climbing caudex plant whose woody base breaks into an uneven, plated surface with age. This listed specimen is presented as a substantial sculpture, but it is still very much alive: vines can emerge from that solid base and head off to investigate the nearest support. The species occurs in Mexico and Central America and belongs to the yam genus, a botanical detail far less ordinary than the word “yam” suggests. The original listing gives a size and estimated age; those measurements should be checked against the actual specimen. The gallery permits looking. The vine will ignore the velvet rope.