Yam (vegetable) Yam (vegetable) Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus "Dioscorea" (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. Yams are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in many temperate and tropical world regions. The tubers themselves are also called "yams", having numerous cultivars and related species. In parts of the United States and Canada, "yam" is sometimes used to refer to varieties of the unrelated sweet potato ("Ipomoea batatas"). The name, yam, appears to derive from Portuguese "inhame" or Canarian (Spain) "ñame", which derived from West African languages during trade. The main
Desiree Reed-Francois Desiree Reed-Francois Desiree Don Reed-Francois is the athletic director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Desiree is a 1994 graduate of UCLA, where she was a member of the rowing team. She earned a Juris Doctorate from Arizona in 1997 and became a member of the California Bar. Reed-Francois held sports administration positions at California, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Fresno State, and the University of San Francisco. She spent four years at University of Tennessee, becoming Deputy Athletics Director and senior administrator for the men's basketball program. In March 2013, she was named Senior Associate Athletics Director and