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:
213 (6  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  3. Ahmed, I. et al. 2020. Evolutionary origins of taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Southeast Asia. Ecol. Evol. 1-14. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6958. Note: Wiley Open Access.
  4. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  5. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  6. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
  7. Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
  8. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1987. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. 6:54-55.
  9. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1318.
  10. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  11. Flach, M. & F. Rumawas, eds. 1996. Plants yielding non-seed carbohydrates. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 9:69-72.
  12. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  13. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  14. Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
  15. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  16. 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.
  17. Hill, A. F. 1939. The correct names of certain economic plants. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7:113-118.
  18. Howard, R. A. 1979. Monocotyledoneae. In: Howard, R., Flora of the lesser Antilles. 3:382, 384-385. Note: published on 31 July 1979, citation of lectotype attributed here, page 382
  19. 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.
  20. Ivancic, A. & V. Lebot. 1999. Botany and genetics of New Caledonian wild taro Colocasia esculenta. Pacific Sci. 53:273-285.
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  25. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  26. 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.
  27. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  28. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  29. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  30. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  31. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  32. Matthews, P. J. & M. E. Ghanem. 2020. Perception gaps that may explain the status of taro (Colocasia esculenta) as an "orphan crop". Plants, People, Planet 3:99-112. DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10155.
  33. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  34. Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:92.
  35. Nicolson, D. H. 1979. In: Smith, A. C., 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"
  36. Otekunrin, O. A. et al. 2021. Cocoyam [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott]: exploring the production, health and trade potentials in sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainability 13:4483. DOI: 10.3390/su13084483. Note: this review emphasizes the current underutilized status
  37. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  38. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  39. Quero-Garcia, J. et al. 2010. Chapter 5. Taro and cocoyam. In: Bradshaw, J. E., ed., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Root and Tuber Crops. 7 149-172.
  40. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  41. Sharma, S. et al. 2020. Chapter 18. Taro (Colocasia esculenta). In: Nayik, G. A. & A. Gull, Antioxidants in vegetables and nuts - Properties and health benefits 341-353. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-7470-2_18.
  42. Soukup, J. 1970. Vocabulario de los nombres vulgares de la flora peruana. Colegio Salesiano, Lima, Peru.
  43. The Missouri Botanical Garden with others. A Catalogue of the vascular plants of Madagascar (on-line resource).
  44. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  45. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  46. Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
  47. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  48. Westphal, E. & P. C. M. Jansen, eds. 1989. A selection. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) A:102.
  49. 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.
  50. Yin, J. et al. 2021. A high-quality genome of taro (Colocasia esculente (L.) Schott), one of the world's oldest crops. Molec. Ecol. Resources 21:68-77. DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13239. Note: Formerly Molecular Ecology Notes
  51. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
  52. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: food crop
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcocoyam  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishdasheen  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englisheddo  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishelephant's-ear  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishtaro  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Frenchcolocasie  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanTaro  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1318.
GermanZehrwurzel  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1318.
Indiaarum  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Malaydaun keladi  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguese (Brazil)inhame  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)inhame-branco  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)inhame-da-África  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)inhame-da-costa  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)taioba-de-São-Tomé  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
South Africa (Zulu)madumbe  2Joubert, F. J. 1997. Taro (Colocasia esculenta), an under exploited tuber crop in South Africa. J. S. African Soc. Hort. Sci. 7(2):39-43.
Spanishalcocaz  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishcolocasia  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishmalanga  2Howard, R. A. 1979. Monocotyledoneae. In: Howard, R., Flora of the lesser Antilles. 3:382, 384-385. Note: published on 31 July 1979, citation of lectotype attributed here, page 382
Spanishtayoba  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish (Peru)pituca  2Soukup, J. 1970. Vocabulario de los nombres vulgares de la flora peruana. Colegio Salesiano, Lima, Peru.
Swedishtaro  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Koreantoran  2Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:92.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaYunnan Shengas C. antiquorumWu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland 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.
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropicsGovaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
2CultivatedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa  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.
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaCabo Verde   
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzores Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands  
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias  
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  Caillon, S. et al. 2006. Nature of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) genetic diversity prevalent in a Pacific Ocean island, Vanua Lava, Vanuatu. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 53:1273-1289. Note: it examined 74 samples from one locality representing 69 cultivars previously morphological identified; an analysis of 126 AFLP bands did not recover feral and cultivars previously recognized
4NaturalizedEurope Europe s.Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States s.e.FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanWest Indies  Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
6Other    probable origin "Indo-Malayan, between Myanmar and Bangladesh"Quero-Garcia, J. et al. 2010. Chapter 5. Taro and cocoyam. In: Bradshaw, J. E., ed., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Root and Tuber Crops. 7 149-172.
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 [Canarias], 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")

Reference(s)
  1. Caillon, S. et al. 2006. Nature of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) genetic diversity prevalent in a Pacific Ocean island, Vanua Lava, Vanuatu. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 53:1273-1289. Note: it examined 74 samples from one locality representing 69 cultivars previously morphological identified; an analysis of 126 AFLP bands did not recover feral and cultivars previously recognized
  2. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute. African flowering plants database (on-line resource).
  3. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  4. Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2002. World checklist and bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  8. Quero-Garcia, J. et al. 2010. Chapter 5. Taro and cocoyam. In: Bradshaw, J. E., ed., Handbook of Plant Breeding. Root and Tuber Crops. 7 149-172.
  9. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  10. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodfodderfor chickensSharma, S. et al. 2020. Chapter 18. Taro (Colocasia esculenta). In: Nayik, G. A. & A. Gull, Antioxidants in vegetables and nuts - Properties and health benefits 341-353. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-7470-2_18.
Animal foodfodderlocally used for pigs in southeast AsiaMatthews, P. J. & M. E. Ghanem. 2020. Perception gaps that may explain the status of taro (Colocasia esculenta) as an "orphan crop". Plants, People, Planet 3:99-112. DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10155.
Animal foodfodderpotentialJoubert, 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 Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1318.
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. In: Howard, R., 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
Human foodvegetable Matthews, P. J. & M. E. Ghanem. 2020. Perception gaps that may explain the status of taro (Colocasia esculenta) as an "orphan crop". Plants, People, Planet 3:99-112. DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10155.
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
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Matthews, P. J. & M. E. Ghanem. 2020. Perception gaps that may explain the status of taro (Colocasia esculenta) as an "orphan crop". Plants, People, Planet 3:99-112. DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10155.
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. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=11177. Accessed 15 April 2026.