Dioscorea Elephantipes rare Testudinaria elephant foot yam Caudiciform 5 seeds Threats and conservation Elephant's foot yam is under threat from over-collection for the horticultural trade and for medicinal use. It is possible that recruitment (the establishment of young plants) is a problem in some populations, but this is unproven. Uses Elephant's foot yam contains very high levels of saponins (a class of chemical compounds from which steroidal drugs come, which aid healing). Wild plants are often dug up by unscrupulous succulent plant collectors, or harvested for indigenous medicines. In the past the tubers were eaten by indigenous people in South Africa, after significant processing to remove toxic compounds. Due to the large amount of effort required to obtain edible material, such tubers are nowadays normally only consumed in times of famine. The plant may be found in some succulent plant collections, and in older literature, under its former name: Testudinaria elephantipes. Species information Scientific name: Dioscorea elephantipes (L'Hr.) Engl. Common name: elephant's foot yam Conservation status: Considered to be threatened in the wild. Not yet evaluated according to IUCN criteria. Habitat: Rocky slopes in dry soils, often derived from quartzite or shales. In thorny and succulent karroid bush (an area characterised by low winter rainfall and extreme summer aridity, and dominated by dwarf, succulent shrubs). Key Uses: Medicinal. Known hazards: Tubers can be safely eaten by humans only after significant processing to remove toxic compounds.