ELEPHANT'S-FOOT, the popular name for the plant Testudinaria Elephantipes, a native of the Cape of Good Hope. It takes its name from the large tuberous stem, which grows very slowly but may reach a size of more than 3yd. in circumference with a height of nearly aft. above ground. It is rich in starch, whence the name Hottentot bread, and is covered outside with thick, hard, corky plates. It develops slender, leafy, climbing shoots which die down each season. It belongs to the monocoty ledonous family Dioscoreaceae (q.v.), which includes the yam and the black bryony, Tamus communis, the latter found in Britain.