ABSTRACT:

Colocasias are known in the western world by three common names; taro, dasheen and the descriptive anatomical name, elephant ear. There are dozens of names used in other parts of the world including culcas (from which the genus name colocasia is derived), eddo, imo, cocoyam and malombo. Colocasias have a worldwide distribution and are grown in tropical and sub-tropical countries as a vital staple food crop and fodder crop. Colocasia esculenta is the 14th most widely consumed vegetable on earth. Ornamental colocasias (the focus of this article) are important plants in gardens because they add a bold, tropical look.