Colocasia esculenta

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:ARACEAE
Species:Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
Common Name:Wild Taro; Coco Yam; Elephant's Ear
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Wild Taro is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Arum family (Araceae). Wild Taro is one of the oldest cultivated plants and its origins are obscure. It is believed to have been native to Malaysia, but was in cultivation in India and other parts of Southeast Asia as early as 5000 BC. Today it occurs in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. In Alabama it occurs in the southern two-thirds of the state. Wild Taro occurs in wet ditches, along the margins of ponds and lakes, on the banks of rivers and creeks, in swamps and marshes, and in hardwood floodplain forests. It is perennial from a large starchy underground corm with elongate horizontal stolons. Leaves are petiolate, peltate in outline, glaucous, glabrous, with entire margins. The petiole is spongy and filled with air spaces. The large leaves can be as tall as 9 feet. The inflorescence is a spathe and spadix. The spathe wraps around the flowers on the spadix. The basal portion of the spathe is green and the upper portion is cheese yellow in color. The spadix has pistillate green flowers near the base and yellow staminate flowers above. There are often some sterile white flowers between the pistillate and staminate flowers. The tip end of the spadix is sterile and yellow in color. The fruit is berry-like with large seed. Wild Taro is cultivated as an ornamental (Elephant Ears) and as a food crop. Both the foliage and corms contain calcium oxalate crystals and raphides that must be removed by cooking and soaking in water before eating. Eating raw portions of the plant can lead to burning and swelling of lips, mouth, tongue, and throat, difficulty of speech, difficulty in swallowing, and possible death. Wild Taro is listed as a Category 2 Invasive Species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native, FACW (NWI)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyARACEAE - Arum family
Genus Colocasia
Species Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott - Wild Taro; Coco Yam; Elephant's Ear

Citation

Citation Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, Melet. Bot. 18. 1832.
Basionym: Arum esculentum L. 1753.
Type: JAMAICA: "Arum minus nympheae foliis esculentum [leaf only]" (lectotype: Sloane, Voy. Jamaica Nat. Hist. 2: t. 106(1). 1725). Lectotypified by Nicolson, in A. C. Smith, Fl. Vit. Nov. 1: 456. 1979.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Alocasia dussii Alocasia dussii Dammer, Gartenflora 1892: 312. 1892.  
Alocasia illustris Alocasia illustris Bull, Cat. 4. 1873.  
Arum colocasia Arum colocasia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 965. 1753. Without data (lectotype: LINN 1079.4). Lectotypified by Mayo, in Bosser et al., Fl. Mascareignes 192: 18. 1984.
Arum colocasioides Arum colocasioides Desfontaines, Tabl. Ecole Bot., ed. 3. 7, 385. 1829.  
Arum esculentum Arum esculentum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 965. 1753.  
Arum lividum Arum lividum Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 260. 1796, nom. illegit.Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753. 
Arum nymphaeifolium Arum nymphaeifolium (Ventenat) Roxburgh, Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 495. 1832.Caladium nymphaeifolium Ventenat 1800. 
Arum peltatum Arum peltatum Lamarck, Encycl. 3: 13. 1786, nom. illegit.Arum esculentum Linnaeus 1753. 
Caladium acre Caladium acre R. Brown, Prodr. 336. 1810. AUSTRALIA
Caladium colocasia Caladium colocasia (Linnaeus) W. Wight, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 9: 206. 1905.Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753. 
Caladium colocasioides Caladium colocasioides (Desfontaines) Brongniart, Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 3: 156. 1834.Arum colocasioides Desfontaines 1829. 
Caladium esculentum Caladium esculentum (Linnaeus) Ventenat, Descr. Pl. Nouv. pl. 30. 1801.Arum esculentum Linnaeus 1753. 
Caladium nymphaeifolium Caladium nymphaeifolium Ventenat, Descr. Pl. Nouv. sub t. 30. 1800; Mag. Encycl. 4: 471. 1801; J. Bot. (Schrader) 4: 320. 1801. INDIA: Kerala: (holotype: Rheede, Hort. Malab. 11: t. 22. 1692).
Colocasia acris Caladium acre R. Brown 1810.  
Colocasia antiquorum var. globulifera Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. globulifera Engler & K. Krause, in Engler, Pflanzenr. 4(Heft 71): 68. 1920.  
Colocasia antiquorum var. nymphaeifolia Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. nymphaeifolia (Ventenat) Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Caladium nymphaeifolium Ventenat 1800. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. acris Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. acris (R. Brown) Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Caladium acre R. Brown 1810. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. aquatilis Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. aquatilis (Hasskarl) Hasskarl ex Engler, in Engler & K. Krause, in Engler, Pflanzenr. 4(Heft 71): 68. 1920.Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. aquatilis Hasskarl 1848. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. esculenta Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott ex Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Arum esculentum Linnaeus 1753. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. euchlora Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. euchlora (K. Koch & Linden) Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Colocasia euchlora K. Koch & Linden 1854. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. fontanesii Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. fontanesii Schott ex Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Colocasia fontanesii Schott 1854, nom. illegit.; Arum colocasioides Desfontaines 1829. 
Colocasia antiquorum var. illustris Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. illustris (Bull) Engler, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 2: 492. 1879.Alocasia illustris Bull 1873. 
Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. aquatilis Hasskarl, Pl. Jav. Rar. 150. 1848.INDONESIA: Java: 
Colocasia esculenta var. acris Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. acris (R. Brown) A. F. Hill, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 117. 1939.Caladium acre R. Brown 1810. 
Colocasia esculenta var. colocasia Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. colocasia (Linnaeus) Mansfield, Kulturpflanze 2: 550. 1959, nom. illegit.Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. antiquorum (Schott) F. T. Hubbard & Rehder 1932; Colocasia antiquorum Schott 1832; Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753 
Colocasia esculenta var. euchlora Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. euchlora (K. Koch & Linden) A. F. Hill, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 117. 1939.Colocasia euchlora K. Koch & Linden 1854. 
Colocasia esculenta var. fontanesii Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. fontanesii (Schott ex Engler) A. F. Hill, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 118. 1939.Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. fontanesii Schott ex Engler 1879; Colocasia fontanesii Schott 1854, nom. illegit.; Arum colocasioides Desfontaines 1829. 
Colocasia esculenta var. globulifera Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. globulifera (Engler & K. Krause) Young, U.S.D.A. Dept. Bull., no. 1247. 1924.Colocasia antiquorum Schott, var. globulifera Engler & K. Krause 1920. 
Colocasia esculenta var. illustris Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. illustris (Bull) A. F. Hill, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 118. 1939.Alocasia illustris Bull 1873. 
Colocasia esculenta var. nymphaeifolia Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. nymphaeifolia (Ventenat) A. F. Hill, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 7: 116. 1939.Caladium nymphaeifolia Ventenat 1800. 
Colocasia esculenta var. typica Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. typica Engl., Vers. Entwicklungsgesch. Extratrop. Florengeb. 1: 8. 1879, nom. inadmiss.Arum Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott 1832; Arum esculentum Linnaeus 1753. 
Colocasia euchlora Colocasia euchlora K. Koch & Linden, App. Sem. Hort. Bot. Berol. 4. 1854.  
Colocasia fontanesii Colocasia fontanesii Schott, Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 4: 409. 1854, nom. illegit.Arum colocasioides Desfontaines 1829. 
Colocasia himalensis Colocasia himalensis Royle, Gard. Chron., ser. 3. 2: 379. 1893.  
Colocasia nymphaeifolia Colocasia nymphaeifolia (Ventenat) Kunth, Enum. Pl. 3: 37. 1840.Caladium nymphaeifolium Ventenat 1800. 
Colocasia vulgaris Colocasia vulgaris Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 65. 1837 ("1836"), nom. illegit.Colocasia antiquorum Schott 1832; Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753. 
Colocasia antiquorum Colocasia antiquorum Schott, in Schott & Endlicher, Melet. Bot. 18. 1832.Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753.Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753.
Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. antiquorum (Schott) F. T. Hubbard & Rehder, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 1(1): 5. 1932.Colocasia antiquorum Schott 1832; Arum colocasia Linnaeus 1753. 
Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott, var. aquatilis Hasskarl, Pl. Jav. Rar. 150. 1848. INDONESIA: Java:

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Chilton, Clarke, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Shelby, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1977 - 1994

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
UWAL0048096 Barbour 18 Nov 2018 Horne, Howard E.
4701		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0039466 Lauderdale 22 Oct 2015 Webb, David H.
8269		 UWAL
Colocassia esculenta (L.) Schott
JSU110274 Monroe 12 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18552		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0019706 Montgomery 02 Oct 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25610		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0012200 Washington 21 Jun 2013 Keener, Brian R.
7929		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000009913 Dale 06 Jun 2000 Woods, Michael
8109		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0051674 Walker 22 Sep 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15729		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0052883 Bibb 18 Aug 2019 Keener, Brian R.
11552		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0047499 Jefferson 16 Jun 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15406		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000032270 Greene 24 Aug 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5575		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
JSU110271 Clarke 13 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18846		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0051839 Jefferson 22 Sep 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15731		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
ALNHS00008545 Houston 12 Sep 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6256		 ALNHS
Colocasia esculenta cv. Fontanesii (L.) Schott
UNA00073754 Marengo 10 Aug 2013 England, J. Kevin
4447		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0031729 Crenshaw 23 Jul 1993 Kral, Robert
82948		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta
USAM000001501 Mobile 09 Sep 1970 LeLong, Michel G.
5595.1		 USAM
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UNA00048713 Covington 29 Sep 1979 Nieland, David L.
45		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0003489 Greene 24 Aug 2009 Keener, Brian R.
5575		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UNA00024146 Wilcox 22 Oct 1977 Haynes, Robert R.
6391		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0011537 Pike 16 Oct 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23518		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0047290 Lawrence 18 Sep 2019 Webb, David H.
8780		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
JSU110276 Shelby 23 Sep 2000 Spaulding, Daniel D.
10921b		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0047179 Jackson 25 Jun 2019 Webb, David H.
8695		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0015147 Elmore 08 Sep 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24515		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000009910 Coffee 01 Sep 1999 Martin, Brian H.
150		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0033125 Houston 22 Oct 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26982		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
AMAL00021413 Marengo 10 Aug 2013 England, J. Kevin
4447		 AMAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000044215 Conecuh 03 Aug 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27583		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0051768 Lawrence 19 Aug 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15598		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UNA00026493 Wilcox 24 Sep 1994 Birk, Michelle
684		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
JSU110275 Monroe 12 Sep 1997 Whetstone, R. David
18552		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0038207 Mobile 04 Nov 1973 LeLong, Michel G.
7403		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0013383 Marengo 10 Aug 2013 England, J. Kevin
4447		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000009912 Dale 21 Jun 2002 Woods, Michael
9634		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
SAMF0000203 Tuscaloosa 28 Sep 1981 Davenport, Lawrence J.
2203		 SAMF
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0051838 Jefferson 22 Sep 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15731		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000041893 Montgomery 12 Oct 2014 Diamond, Alvin R.
25610		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0049662 Jackson 05 Sep 2019 Webb, David H.
8755		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
TROY000050241 Autauga 04 Nov 2020 Parker, Matthew R.
1905		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0015676 Butler 13 Jul 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24373		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0049885 Morgan 18 Sep 2019 Webb, David H.
8776		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
TROY000044352 Conecuh 29 Oct 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27709		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
JSU110273 Jefferson 23 Sep 2000 Spaulding, Daniel D.
10921a		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0049896 Limestone 18 Sep 2019 Webb, David H.
8781		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
AUA000030239 Lee 11 Sep 2015 Taylor, Chris T.
CSP-118		 AUA
Colocasia Esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000009914 Dale 06 Jun 2000 Pennington, Tiffany
782		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
ALNHS00001471 Mobile 20 Mar 2012 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#489		 ALNHS
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
USAM000001499 Wilcox 01 Aug 1978 Haynes, Robert R.
s.n.		 USAM
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000039018 Butler 02 Sep 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24502		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UNA00056013 Geneva 29 Jun 1998 MacDonald, John R.
11525		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
AUA000033761 Pike 5 Nov 1997 Diamond, Alvin R.
11151		 AUA
Colocasia Esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0049620 Colbert 03 Oct 2019 Webb, David H.
8817		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
ALNHS00008546 Houston 12 Sep 2023 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#6256		 ALNHS
Colocasia esculenta cv. Fontanesii (L.) Schott
TROY000047562 Lowndes 14 Oct 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28550		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0049621 Lawrence 03 Oct 2019 Webb, David H.
8821		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
JSU110272 Etowah 30 Oct 1994 Hodge, Lesley M.
4070		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UNA00026224 Houston 12 Jul 1978 Davenport, Lawrence J.
555		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0043997 Baldwin 27 May 2004 Larsen, Harry S.
1361		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UNA00024150 Wilcox 22 Oct 1977 Haynes, Robert R.
6391		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
AUA000033762 Pike 5 Nov 1997 Diamond, Alvin R.
11151		 AUA
Colocasia Esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0049898 Morgan 18 Sep 2019 Webb, David H.
8776		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.
TROY000038428 Elmore 08 Sep 2013 Diamond, Alvin R.
24515		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000035954 Pike 06 Oct 2012 Diamond, Alvin R.
23518		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
TROY000033849 Montgomery 28 Aug 2011 Diamond, Alvin R.
22466		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
JSU140224 Mobile 20 Mar 2012 Barger, T. Wayne
SP489		 JSU
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0038112 Talladega 17 Sep 2017 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15013		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
AUA000033760 Escambia 23 Oct 1988 Diamond, Alvin R.
5619		 AUA
Colocasia Esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000043741 Houston 22 Oct 2015 Diamond, Alvin R.
26982		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
ALNHS00005756 Chilton 19 Jul 2018 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#4098		 ALNHS
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UNA00059877 Calhoun 10 Oct 2002 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11640		 UNA
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
UWAL0039254 Lowndes 14 Oct 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28550		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0051706 Tuscaloosa 12 Oct 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15763		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
USAM000001500 Mobile 04 Nov 1973 LeLong, Michel G.
7403		 USAM
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
AMAL00000055 Calhoun 10 Oct 2002 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11640		 AMAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000045292 Marengo 10 Aug 2013 England, J. Kevin
4447		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0047539 Jefferson 02 Jun 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15349		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000024725 Calhoun 10 Oct 2002 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11640		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0039938 Conecuh 29 Oct 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27709		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
UWAL0050562 Elmore 03 Sep 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15649		 UWAL
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
TROY000009911 Covington 17 Jun 2002 Diamond, Alvin R.
13355		 TROY
Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) Schott
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