Article
Article
Dioscoreales
Article By:
Chase, Mark W. Molecular Systematics Section, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Surrey, United Kingdom.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757538
A widespread order of lilioid monocotyledons composed of four or five families, the most important of which is Dioscoreaceae (650 species). The families comprising the order Dioscoreales contain some of the most peculiar plants among the monocots. Two families, Thismiaceae and Burmanniaceae (with 35 and 140 species, respectively), are largely composed of nonphotosynthetic herbaceous species that parasitize fungi, whereas other members, such as the bat plant (Tacca, Taccaceae) and the yams (Dioscorea), have net-veined leaves similar to dicots. Most of the 600 species of Dioscorea are vines, and all contain diosgenin, a precursor of progesterone and cortisone, leading to their being commercially collected in some parts of the world. See also: Magnoliophyta
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
