Taro (species: Colocasia esculenta) in Cairns and Surrounds (Gaia Guide)
Cairns and Surrounds > Plantae > Tracheophyta > Equisetopsida > Alismatales > Araceae > Colocasia > Colocasia esculenta (gallery)
Colocasia esculenta
Taro


©Arthur Chapman: Taro (Colocasia esculenta) cultivated on the Island of Efate, Vanuatu

©Arthur Chapman: Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the Port Vila Markets, Efate Island, Vanuatu

©Drew Avery: Taro (Colocasia esculenta) 'Black Magic'

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Kingdom Plantae
Division Tracheophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Alismatales
Family Araceae
Genus Colocasia
Species Colocasia esculenta

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Distinguishing features

Distinguishing features still need to be specified.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Taro was probably first native to the lowland wetlands of Malaysia (taloes). Estimates are that taro was in cultivation in wet tropical India before 5000 BC, presumably coming from Malaysia, and from India further transported westward to ancient Egypt.

In Australia, Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis is native to the Kimberley region of Western Australia; var. esculenta is naturalised in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.

In Turkey, it is locally known as "Gölevez" and mainly grown in Mediterranean coast, such as Alanyawhich is a district of Antalya. (Wikipedia)

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