Colocasia

Scientific name

Colocasia Schott

Common names

elephant ear, taro, yam

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Peltandra, Sagittaria, Typhonodorum, Urospatha, Zantedeschia

Native distribution

Asia

Species cultivated

Six species offered as garden ornamentals and pond plants, plus numerous cultivated hybrids and varieties

Colocasia affinis Schott

C. antiquorum Schott [also offered under the synonyms C. gaoligongensis H.Li & C.L.Long and C. heterochroma H.Li & Z.X.Wei]

C. esculenta (L.) Schott

C. fallax Schott

C. fontanesii Schott [synonym of C. antiquorum Schott]

C. gigantea (Blume) Hook.f.

Adventive distribution

Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa

Weed status

Colocasia esculenta is a troublesome weed of waterways in numerous countries.

Habit

large, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
, amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
, broad-leaved rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Perennial, with large rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
tuber. Stem thick, compact. Leaves in rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
, petioles long (> 2m); leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
large, cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
to sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
subtended by a persistentpersistent:
(adj) (of leaves etc,) remaining attached; not being dropped or falling off
spathe; female flowers at base of spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
, males at apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
, with sterilesterile:
(adj) lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; not producing fruit, seed, pollen, spores, etc.
flowers between them. Perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
absent; anthers united. Dispersal by edible berries.

Natural habitat

shallow water and wet ground of all types of lowland waterways; tropical

Additional comments

For thousands of years the large tubers of Colocasia esculenta have been used as a staple starchy food in numerous tropical countries in Africa, Oceania, Asia, and Central and South America. Numerous varieties are cultivated for gardens.