Alocasia macrorrhizos
(L.) G.Don
Araceae
Alocasia cordifolia (Bory) Cordem.
Alocasia gigas Chantrier ex André
Alocasia grandis N.E.Br.
Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach.
Alocasia marginata N.E.Br.
Alocasia metallica Schott
Alocasia montana (Roxb.) Schott
Alocasia pallida K.Koch & C.D.Bouché
Alocasia plumbea Van Houtte
Alocasia rapiformis (Roxb.) Schott
Alocasia uhinkii Engl. & K.Krause
Alocasia variegata K.Koch & C.D.Bouché
Arum cordifolium Bory
Arum indicum Lour.
Arum macrorhizum L.
Arum montanum Roxb.
Arum mucronatum Lam.
Arum peregrinum L.
Arum rapiforme Roxb.
Caladium indicum K.Koch
Caladium macrorrhizon (L.) R.Br.
Caladium metallicum Engl.
Caladium odoratum Lodd.
Caladium plumbeum K.Koch
Calla badian Blanco
Calla maxima Blanco
Calocasia indica (Lour.) Kunth
Colocasia boryi Kunth
Colocasia macrorrhizos (L.) Schott
Colocasia montana (Roxb.) Kunth
Colocasia mucronata (Lam.) Kunth
Colocasia peregrina (L.) Raf.
Colocasia rapiformis (Roxb.) Kunth
Philodendron peregrinum (L.) Kunth
Philodendron punctatum Kunth
Common Name: Giant Taro
Cultivated plant in the Botanical Garden KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
Photograph by: H. Zell

General Information
Giant taro is a large, herbaceous perennial plant growing 2 - 4 metres tall, with thickened stems that can be 3 metres or more in height and 20cm in diameter, and leaves up to 1 metre long[
].
The plant is cultivated in some parts of lowland tropical Asia, mainly for the edible stems but also for the corm[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Known Hazards
All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals. This substance is toxic fresh and, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if hundreds of small needles are digging in to them. However, calcium oxalate is easily broken down either by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it and, in either of these states, it is safe to eat the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet[
238- Title
- Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bown. D.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley, London.
- Year
- 1995
- ISBN
- 0-7513-020-31
- Description
- A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, Malaysia.
Habitat
Common along river banks and other damp places from sea-level to 500 metres[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating |    |
Medicinal Rating |  |
Other Uses Rating |  |
Habit | Perennial |
Height | 3.00 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the higher-rainfall areas of the lowland tropics, where it is cultivated at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 25°c, but can tolerate 10 - 32°c[
].It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,500 - 3,500mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 4,200mm[
].
Grows best in a position in some shade[
419- Title
- Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 85-86714-17-8
- Description
- Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
]. Prefers a well-drained, humus-rich, fertile loam, though it is tolerant of a wide range of soil types[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. Dislikes water-logged soils[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.7 - 6.3, tolerating 5 - 7.3[
].
Grows best in higher-rainfall areas of the lowland tropics[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Plants take from 400 - 600 days to mature, but the stems can then remain in a suitable condition for a considerable time[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Whilst many forms of this plant contain calcium oxalate crystals (see notes above on toxicity), cultivars have been developed in India that do not contain oxalates[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Like many species in the family Araceae, this plant has the ability to heat the flowering spadix as the pollen becomes ready for fertilization. This heat greatly increases the strength of the aroma released by the plant, thus attracting more pollinating insects. It can also have the effect of making the insects more active, thus increasing the level of fertilization[
472- Title
- Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bown D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 0-88192-485-7
- Description
- An excellent treatment of the family Araceae, giving lots of information about the plants, how to grow them, their uses etc. I found it a bit disordered - if you want all the information on a specific species you have to trawl through the whole book.
].
Edible Uses
Corm - cooked[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. The corm needs to be thoroughly cooked before being eaten in order to destroy the calcium oxalate crystals[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
,
].
Stems - cooked[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. The basal part of the stem, which can be up to 1 metre tall and 20cm in diameter, is peeled and used as a cooked vegetable[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
,
]. It can be added to soups and stews[
]. A very easily digested starch can be obtained from the stem[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
,
].
The leaves and stalks of some cultivars are edible[
].
Medicinal
Although no specific medicinal properties have been established, giant taro is often used in traditional medicine in the Pacific Islands[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
]..
The sap of the stem is used to treat earache or boils in the ear[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
]. Externally, it is used to treat cuts[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
]. In New Guinea, headaches are treated with the sap and the leaves[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
].
The roots are used to treat swollen lymph glands[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
].
The wood is used to treat stomach-ache and diarrhoea[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
].
Sexual insufficiency is treated by eating the leaves cooked in coconut milk[
311- Title
- Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- WHO Regional Publications, Manilla.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 92-9061-118-9
- Description
- Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
].
Other Uses
A fibre is said to be obtained from the plant[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Germinates best at 24c.
Division of the rootstock as the plant is coming into growth.
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