Chinese taro
Alocasia cucullata

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a plant with a tuber and it keeps growing from year to year. It can grow for only one year. It grows to 1.5 m high. The stem can be 50 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 1 m long. The leaf stalk joins the leaf blade at the edge. The leaf is glossy and oval to heart shaped. It only has short lobes at the base. It is green. The leaf blade is 40 cm long by 28 cm wide. It forms suckers freely. The flowers have a spathe 9-15 cm long.

There are about 60-70 Alocasia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands in open, wet locations. It is one of the more cold hardy Alocasias. Cairns Botanical Garden. In XTBG Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Central America, China, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Fiji, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Rotuma, SE Asia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Windward Is.

How it is used for food

The corms are eaten as a cooked vegetable. The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

It is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Corms, tubers, leaves, roots, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown by division of the clump or from offsets. It can also be grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Alokasia nampu hijau, 'Apea, Bira, Boga kachu, Boga kochu, Hpa-gamon, Jian wei cao, Nang-kwak, Panchamukhi kochu, Rasy, Singjupal, Singju-paan, Sinjupaal, Tha-khashiba hagrani, Wan-nokkhum, Wan-thorahot

Synonyms

Alocasia cucullata (Lour.) Schott; Alocasia rugosa Schott; Arum cucullatum Lour.; Caladium cucullatum (Lour.) Pers.; Colocasia cucullata Schott, Colocasia rugosa Kunth; Fanzhuyuia. Z. Y. Zhu and species Fanzhuyuia omeiensis Z. Y. Zhu.;