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Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott

Family Name:	Araceae
Synonyms:	Alocasia dussii, Alocasia illustris, Arum chinense
Common Name:	Taro, Yam, Cocoyam, Dasheen, Ubi Keladi, Eddoe, Elephant's Ear, Keladi, 芋, 芋头

Colocasia esculenta or Taro is the oldest cultivated species in the Aroid family. This edible herb reaches up to 2 m tall, produces heart shaped to arrow shaped leaves that droop downwards. The swollen stem, often called tubers are pounded into a thick paste to make a wide variety of food including the popular local dessert, Orh-Nee.

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Lots of Water

Moderate Water

Fruit or Vegetable

Indoor Plant

Ornamental Leaves

Herbaceous Plant

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Herbaceous Plant
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Compact
Maximum Height	1 m to 1.5 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Tropical Southeastern Asia, China, Japan, West Indies
Native Habitat	Terrestrial
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Non-native (Spontaneous (Casual))

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a large evergreen herb that grows up to 1 – 2 m tall.
Foliage	Its leaves are large, smooth, heart-shaped to arrow-shaped, drooping downwards. The thick fleshy petiole is green, sometimes purple. It is attached near the centre of the leaf (peltate), measuring 25 – 80 cm long.
Stems	It produces a short thick tuber that is round, elongated or cylindrical of up to 35 cm long and 15 cm wide. The skin of the tuber appears rough, fibrous with presence of ring-like scars.

Flowers	Its flowers are borne on a spadix inflorescence. The inflorescence occur in solitary or up to clusters of 3. The spathe is longer than the spadix, cream to golden yellow in colour, measures between 13 – 24 cm long.
Fruit	Its fruits are berry-like, yellow-brown when ripe.
Habitat	Often found naturalised or native to moist forest, next to small streams, riverbanks or marshes. It can also be found along roadside ditches and disturbed areas.
Similar	This species is similar to Alocasia macrorrhizos. The key differences are the leaf stalk (petiole) of Colocasia esculenta is attached near the centre of the leaf and the leaf droops downwards. Unlike the Alocasia macrorrhizos, the petiole is attached near the edge while the leaf stays upright.
Cultivation	It is adaptable to most soil types including flooded conditions (up to 0.4m deep). Therefore, it is hard to overwater this plant. However, it does best in deep, loose and well-drained soil, rich in organic matter.
Etymology	The specific epithet, esculenta means edible or good to eat
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Leaves, Edible Storage Organs Food (Fruit or Vegetable): This species has been cultivated for 6,000 years as a food source. All parts of the taro plant are used in many cuisines. However, they should not be eaten raw, because they contain toxic calcium oxalate which is destroyed during the cooking process. The tubers are often pounded into a thick paste to make a wide variety of food including Singapore’s popular local desert, Orh-Nee. Poi, is a Hawaiian and Polynesian dish that is made by cooking, pounding and fermenting grated taro and coconut. The leaves and petioles are cooked as vegetables in China, Malaysia, Myanmar and Nepal. Others: This species has phytoremediation potential, because it accumulates mercury.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Foliage
Landscape Uses	Interiorscape/ Indoor Plant, Pond / Lake / River, Marsh / Bog, Phytoremediation (Ground / Water Contaminant(s))
Thematic Landscaping	Water Garden, Marsh Garden

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun, Semi-Shade
Water Preference	Lots of Water, Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Fast

Rootzone Tolerance	Easy to Grow, Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Waterlogged Soils
Propagation Method	Division

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Velvety / Furry / Tomentose

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Cordate)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire - Wavy / Undulate
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute
Foliar Base	Cordate
Typical Foliar Area	Macrophyll ( 182.25cm2 - 1640.25 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Unisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Yellow / Golden
Flower Texture(s)	Smooth

Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence
Inflorescence Type	Spathe & Spadix

References

References	Yong J, Tan PY, Nor Hafiz Hassan, Tan SN. 2010. A Selection of Plants for Greening of Waterways and Waterbodies in the Tropics. Singapore: Chung Printing . 480 pp.

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Master ID	539
Species ID	1835
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.