Taxon:  Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott



Summary
Genus:
Colocasia
Family:
Araceae
Subfamily:
Aroideae
Tribe:
Colocasieae
Nomen number:
11177
Place of publication:
H. Schott & S. L. Endlicher, Melet. bot. 18.  1832
Verified:
11/01/1985 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
0 (0  active, 0  available) in Nordic Baltic Genebanks. 
Other conspecific taxa
Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
  4. Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
  5. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1987. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. 6:54-55.
  6. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
  7. Flach, M. & F. Rumawas, eds. 1996. Plants yielding non-seed carbohydrates. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 9:69-72.
  8. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  9. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  10. Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
  11. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  12. Helmkampf, M. et al. 2017. Phylogenetic relationships, breeding implications, and cultivation history of Hawaiian taro (Colocasia esculenta) through genome-wide SNP genotyping. J. Heredity 1-11. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx070.
  13. Hill, A. F. 1939. The correct names of certain economic plants. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7:113-118.
  14. Howard, R. A. 1979. Monocotyledoneae. Flora of the lesser Antilles. 3:382, 384-385. Note: published on 31 July 1979, citation of lectotype attributed here, page 382
  15. Hunt, H. V. et al. 2013. Genetic data confirms field evidence for natural breeding in a wild taro population (Colocasia esculenta) in northern Queensland, Australia. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 60:1695-1707.
  16. Ivancic, A. & V. Lebot. 1999. Botany and genetics of New Caledonian wild taro Colocasia esculenta. Pacific Sci. 53:273-285.
  17. Jansen van Rensberg, W. S. et al. 2013. Molecular characterization of South African taro (Colocasia esculenta) germplasm using SSR markers. Acta Hort. 979:459-466.
  18. Jarvis, C. et al. Linnaean plant name typification project (on-line resource). Note: cites R. A. Howard as author of lectotypification in Flora of Lesser Antilles 3:382. 1979
  19. Joubert, F. J. 1997. Taro (Colocasia esculenta), an under exploited tuber crop in South Africa. J. S. African Soc. Hort. Sci. 7(2):39-43.
  20. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  21. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  22. Kreike, C. M. et al. 2004. Genetic diversity of taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Theor. Appl. Genet. 109:761-768.
  23. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  24. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  25. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  26. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  27. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  28. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  29. Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:92.
  30. Nicolson, D. H. 1979. Flora vitiensis nova. 1:456-457. Note: published on April 1979; it cited "apparently typified by the illustration ...of Sloane, Voy. Jamaica 1: 167, t. 106, f.1. 1707"
  31. Personal Care Products Council. INCI
  32. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  33. Quero-Garcia, J. et al. 2010. Chapter 5. Taro and cocoyam. Handbook of Plant Breeding. Root and Tuber Crops. 7 149-172.
  34. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  35. The Missouri Botanical Garden with others. A Catalogue of the vascular plants of Madagascar (on-line resource).
  36. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  37. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  38. Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
  39. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  40. Westphal, E. & P. C. M. Jansen, eds. 1989. A selection. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) A:102.
  41. Xu, J. C. et al. 2001. Genetic diversity in taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott, Araceae) in China: An ethnobotanical and genetic approach. Econ. Bot. 55:14-31.
  42. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LANGUAGENAMEALTERNATE NAMENOTESEQCITATION
English cocoyam 1 Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English dasheen 1 Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English eddo 1 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English elephant's-ear 1 Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English taro 1 Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
French colocasie 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German Taro 2 Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
German Zehrwurzel 2 Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
India arum 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Malay daun keladi 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguese (Brazil) inhame 2 Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil) inhame-branco 2 Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil) inhame-da-África 2 Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil) inhame-da-costa 2 Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil) taioba-de-São-Tomé 2 Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
South Africa (Zulu) madumbe 2 Joubert, F. J. 1997. Taro (Colocasia esculenta), an under exploited tuber crop in South Africa. J. S. African Soc. Hort. Sci. 7(2):39-43.
Spanish alcocaz 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish colocasia 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish malanga 2 Howard, R. A. 1979. Monocotyledoneae. Flora of the lesser Antilles. 3:382, 384-385. Note: published on 31 July 1979, citation of lectotype attributed here, page 382
Spanish tayoba 2 Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish taro 2 Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Korean toran 2 Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:92.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNote
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaYunnan Shengas C. antiquorum
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland 
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropics
2CultivatedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa  
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaCabo Verde  
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzores 
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands 
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanary Islands 
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  
4NaturalizedEurope Europe s.
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States s.e.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanWest Indies  
6Other    probable origin "Indo-Malayan, between Myanmar and Bangladesh"
Native
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China [Yunnan Sheng (as C. antiquorum)]
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland]
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Africa
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde, Spain [Canary Islands], Portugal [Azores, Madeira Islands]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya, Morocco
Australasia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Europe
  • REGION: Europe (s.)
Northern America
  • REGION: United States (s.e.)
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: West Indies
Other (probable origin "Indo-Malayan, between Myanmar and Bangladesh")
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodpotential as fodder Joubert, F. J. 1997. Taro (Colocasia esculenta), an under exploited tuber crop in South Africa. J. S. African Soc. Hort. Sci. 7(2):39-43.
Environmentalagroforestry Xu, J. C. et al. 2001. Genetic diversity in taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott, Araceae) in China: An ethnobotanical and genetic approach. Econ. Bot. 55:14-31.
Environmentalornamental Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Environmentalornamental Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
Human foodstarch Xu, J. C. et al. 2001. Genetic diversity in taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott, Araceae) in China: An ethnobotanical and genetic approach. Econ. Bot. 55:14-31.
Human foodstarch Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Human foodvegetable Howard, R. A. 1979. Monocotyledoneae. Flora of the lesser Antilles. 3:382, 384-385. Note: published on 31 July 1979, citation of lectotype attributed here, page 382
Human foodvegetable Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: http://nordic-baltic-genebanks.org/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=11177. Accessed 8 May 2025.