Colocasia esculenta

From: "Richard Mansell (BIO)" <mansell at chuma.cas.usf.edu> on 1997.01.29 at 03:36:44(252) Greetings: I have been able to obtain a number of tubers of the big green form of this plant. I can give them away for the price of postage so let me know so I can sort things out. This plant grows about 4 feet high and the blade is about 24 inches across. Very nice in the garden or planting. Will take full sun and although it is usually grown in wet areas, I had no problem in an elevated, Florida sand medium. You will have plenty of tubers to share for 1998 as this thing is nicely prolific. I saw some tubers that were more than 3 pounds today so if you want to grow this to that size, you can also learn how to make poi. What fun! If any of you want any of the Caladiums I am getting for aroid-l members I can include a tuber when I send the former. The Colocasia tubers are about ready to break dormancy but can be held for months and still the will survive. +More I will see if I can find a photo and scan it in so you can view one. Dick -- Richard L. Mansell Phone: H(813) 961-7072 Biology Department, LIF 136 W(813) 974-1588 University of South Florida Fax: (813) 974-1614 Tampa, FL 33620 Home: 13508 Little Lake Place, Tampa, FL 33613-4134 E-mail- mansell@chuma.cas.usf.edu WWW - http://www.cas.usf.edu/~mansell/mansell.html

From: CBL451 at aol.com on 1998.12.15 at 00:30:10(2821) Concerning C. esculenta, does anyone know what sp. of colocasia or supposed "variety" of esculenta are the tubers commonly sold in garden centers as "Elephant Ears"? They are not commonly grown here in Florida but I seem them in many yards "up North" in the summer. They look like a large form of C. esculenta and are fairly invasive like esculenta is.(It is an invasive weed in many Florida lakes, rivers, etc.) The only names I have seen on the packages is Colocasia sp. Thanks for any info. Eric Schmidt +More Orlando, FL

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.12.15 at 03:16:03(2822) >>Concerning C. esculenta, does anyone know what sp. of colocasia or supposed "variety" of esculenta are the tubers commonly sold in garden centers as +More "Elephant Ears"? They are not commonly grown here in Florida but I seem them in many yards "up North" in the summer. They look like a large form of C. esculenta and are fairly invasive like esculenta is.(It is an invasive weed in many Florida lakes, rivers, etc.) The only names I have seen on the packages is Colocasia sp. Thanks for any info.<< >>Eric Schmidt Orlando, FL<< Dear Eric, I have no "concrete" information on this/these cultivar/cultivars of Colocasia esculenta (I have seen what appear to be a few here in W.P.B., Florida that seem different one from the other), but they remind me of the "wild dasheen" in my homeland of Trinidad, W.I., and those were said to have originated from Fijian cultivars inported and then rejected as inferior to the two or three VERY good cultivars that had been cultivated in Trinidad LONG before, presumably since their introduction from Africa during the slave trade. The "new" ones were stoleniferous and invasive, and "itched" more than the old cultivars, and so were abandoned. (see my article on this in Aroideana Vol. 16, 1993 (1994). Good luck. Julius ju-bo@msn.com

From: Tony Avent <tony at plantdel.com> on 1998.12.15 at 13:38:48(2824) Dear Folks: We purchased a stoloniferous form of C. esculenta under the name of C. Red Dot and C. Orange Flower. It has nearly taken over our pond. This is reportedly the variety C. esculenta var. aquitalis, which was imported as slave food according to Scott Ogden. Tony Avent +More Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, NC 27603 USA Minnimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-100F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdel.com website http://www.plantdel.com phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 662-0370 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.12.16 at 15:03:54(2829) >Dear Folks: We purchased a stoloniferous form of C. esculenta under the name of C. Red Dot and C. Orange Flower. It has nearly taken over our pond. This is reportedly the variety C. esculenta var. aquitalis, which was imported as slave food according to Scott Ogden. Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, NC 27603 USA Minnimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-100F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdel.com +More website http://www.plantdel.com phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 662-0370 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent< Dear Tony, Sounds like you have a BAD monster by the tail!! I wonder how these stolen-producing plants were useful as ANY food, since they rarely produce ant type of a sizable tuber? Maybe the young leaves?? Saw an article, in I believe a Nat. Geo. Mag. a few years ago of Taro (Dasheen) being grown and harvested in the Carolinas, I believe it was, and they named the cultivar, calling it "Trinidad", one of the cultivars I have mentioned before as having originated in Trinidad, W.I., and it is very good!! Cheers, and a VERY merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and ALL my friends (and a few not-so-friends??) on Aroid-L!!! Sincerely, Julius

From: "Sampson" <wiz at texas.net> on 1998.12.16 at 19:26:18(2836) Hi to all, While in Hawaii, we always take in the native food and in their dish with fish it is always wrapped and steamed in taro leaves, very tender and delicious, taste like spinach and the fish imparts a real rich taste to it all. I want More!! From Hawaii of course!! I wonder how these stolen-producing plants were useful as ANY food, since they rarely produce ant type of a sizable tuber? Maybe the young leaves??> Mele Kalikemaka (sp) (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas) >From the sampsons

From: Michael Foreman mrdf at earthlink.net> on 2000.03.07 at 03:52:13(4170) Any Taro connoisseurs out there? Here on the west coast I have found a supplier of 2 types of Hawaiian Colocasia esculenta, but they are used mostly for poi. My husband is from Jamaica and he claims the Asian or Polynesian varieties are too soft. I guess there is a "Red Coco" (actually Xanthosoma violaceum?) that is grown in Jamaica. Does anyone know if this is the variety that is popular in Jamaica? Does anyone know where I could find a plant? Thanks for your help! Sharon

From: Lester Kallus lkallus at earthlink.net> on 2000.03.08 at 02:58:20(4172) I purchase Xanthosoma violaceum at hispanic (predominantly Puerto Rican & Cuban) grocery stores under the name Yautia lila for approximate $3.50 a pound. The tubers sprout rapidly and grow into large plants with little fuss. I also found that a group that I didn't get around to planting last year (had grown in the summer of '98) is still viable and is about to sprout now that I've finally planted them a year and a half since harvesting. It's not bad for $3.50 a pound. Les +More At 09:52 PM 03/06/2000 -0600, you wrote: >Any Taro connoisseurs out there? Here on the west coast I have found a >supplier of 2 types of Hawaiian Colocasia esculenta, but they are used >mostly for poi. My husband is from Jamaica and he claims the Asian or >Polynesian varieties are too soft. I guess there is a "Red Coco" >(actually Xanthosoma violaceum?) that is grown in Jamaica. Does anyone >know if this is the variety that is popular in Jamaica? Does anyone >know where I could find a plant? Thanks for your help! > >Sharon > >

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