Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott

Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus) ScHott, Melet. Bot. 1:18,1832.
Acaulescent, tuber-forming herb. Leaves ovate-cordate, peltate, entire, acute to acu-
minate, of various sizes but mostly 30 or more cm. long, petiole sheathing at the base and
varying in color from light green to dark green or purplish. Flowers small, on a fleshy
spadix, surrounded with a yellowish or reddish spathe.
Taro is one of the most important of the food crops (9985). The cooked
tubers are the basic item of diet for the natives, and the young leaves are eaten
as greens or cooked with coconut cream. A large number of varieties are
distinguished by the natives on the basis of the color of the petioles, shape of
leaves, color and quality of the flesh, and so forth. Five main groups are
recognized on differences in color and markings of the leaf stalks.
1. Fa kula group: leaf stalks yellow or pinkish.
Talo ago: flesh yellow, used for scraping or grating in preparation of vegetable
puddings. Introduced.
Talo fua
Talo ifo kula: flesh red.
Talo ifo tea: flesh white.
Talo ifo uli: flesh bluish.
Talo lauila
Talo maga lau ila tea: leaf blade with a dark center.
Talo maga paku: flesh yellow or pink Introduced from New Guinea.
Talo maha: flesh white with dark rings near the outside.
Talo maha tea: flesh white.
Talo maha uli: skin black, flesh white with brown rings.
Talo malau: stalks red, flesh white, of poor quality.
Talo malau kula: flesh white. Poor quality and not much used.
Talo matagi: flesh gray, leaves with dark central spot.
Talo paku: flesh yellow or pink.
Talo paku ago: flesh yellow.
Talo palaveka: flesh white.
Talo pogi kula: flesh bluish.
Talo pula maha: flesh white.
Talo pula nonu avaava: flesh yellow, petioles striped.
Talo pula pule kau: flesh yellow.
Talo toga kula: flesh blue.
Fa uli avaava group. Leaf stalks with longitudinal stripes.
Talo ago ivaiva: flesh orange.
Talo hega
Talo maga lau ila uli: flesh bluish.
Talo maga tifa
Talo malavalu: flesh purplish.
Talo manua avaava tea: flesh white, petiole dark with light stripes.
Talo manua avaava uli: flesh yellow, petiolar stripes dark.
Talo manua ivaiva tea: flesh white.
Talo pogi avaava: flesh gray.
Talo pula kula: flesh yellow.
Talo pula uli: flesh yellow.
Talo telulu: flesh white, petiole speckled.
Talo toga uli: flesh light*blue.
Fa uli group. Leaf stalks black or dark colored.
Talo faliu
Talo fate: flesh gray. A favorite variety.
Talo fate manua: flesh white.
Talo fiti: flesh white, tough. Introduced from Fiji.
Talo laumegemege: flesh white.
Talo magafauli
?M Talo manua: flesh white, |tough. Introduced from Manua.
: Talo mataga: flesh whiter
. Talo mataga uli: flesh dark blue.
Talo paku uli: flesh yellowish.
TRUMAN 6. YUNCKER HERBARIUM
OF DEPAUW UNIVERSITY (DflJ)
PURCHASED BY NY IN 1987
eW YO/i,
BOTANICAL.
®ARDEf*
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
03780482
presented to DHÜ Heríais-,
by T. G. Yunckar
h¥rbarVum'25800 i1ERBAR1UM
___T. G. YUNCKER
Flora of Niue Island
Herbarium of Bernice P. Bishop Hueum
! no. 9985
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
I Cultivated in plantation near Alof i.
65 m. alt. Pet. 2, 1940.
*talo*
I Coll. T. Yunckek
I Dm.
03780482