Malay alocasia
Alocasia portei

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A robust plant. It is evergreen and keeps growing from year to year. The plant grows 3 m high. The stem can be 60 cm tall and 12 cm across. The leaf stalk is green or can have red mottling. It is 2 m long. The leaves are dark green and oval or spear head shaped. They are divided along the edges. There can be 16 narrow leaflets. The blades are 1.5 m long. They are wavy with deeply ruffled edges. The flower spadix is 25-35 cm long. It droops over with weight. The fruit are golden yellow.

There are about 60-70 Alocasia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in primary and secondary forests up to 500 m above sea level. It grows at medium altitudes in the Philippines. It suits hardiness zone 11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Indochina, Malaysia, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand

How it is used for food

The plant contains oxalates which need to be removed before eating. The corms and leaf stalks are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Corm, root, leaf stalk

How it is grown

The plant can be grown by small corms. It can also be grown by stem cuttings and by seed.

It takes 1-1.5 years to reach harvesting stage.

Its other names

Local names

Alokasia portei, Badiang

Synonyms

Schizocasia portei (Schott) Engler; Schizocasia regnieri L. Linden & Rodigas;