Colocasia esculenta (L.) SchottFamily: Araceae
Synonyms: Alocasia dussii Dammer, Alocasia illustris W.Bull, Aron colocasium (L.) St.-Lag., Arum chinense L., Arum colocasia L., Arum colocasioides Desf., Arum esculentum L., Arum lividum Salisb., Arum nymphaeifolium (Vent.) Roxb., Arum peltatum Lam., Caladium acre R.Br., Caladium colocasia (L.) W.Wight, Caladium colocasioides (Desf.) Brongn., Caladium esculentum (L.) Vent., Caladium glycyrrhizum Fraser, Caladium nymphaeifolium Vent., Caladium violaceum Desf., Caladium violaceum Engl., Calla gaby Blanco, Calla virosa Roxb., Colocasia acris (R.Br.) Schott, Colocasia aegyptiaca Samp., Colocasia antiquorum var. acris (R.Br.) Schott, Colocasia antiquorum f. acuatica Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. aquatilis (Hassk.) Engl. & K. Krause, Colocasia antiquorum f. eguimo Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. esculenta (L.) Schott, Colocasia antiquorum var. euchlora (K.Koch & Linden) Schott, Colocasia antiquorum var. globulifera Engl. & K.Krause, Colocasia antiquorum var. illustris (W.Bull) Engl., Colocasia antiquorum var. multifolia Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. nymphaeifolia (Vent.) Engl., Colocasia antiquorum f. oyasetage Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. patens Makino, Colocasia antiquorum f. purpurea Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. rosea Makino, Colocasia antiquorum var. rupicola Haines, Colocasia antiquorum var. stolonifera Haines, Colocasia antiquorum f. yamamotoi Makino, Colocasia colocasia (L.) Huth , Colocasia esculenta var. acris (R.Br.) A.F.Hill, Colocasia esculenta var. aquatilis Hassk., Colocasia esculenta f. ebiimo Makino, Colocasia esculenta var. euchlora (K.Koch & Linden) A.F.Hill, Colocasia esculenta var. globulifera (Engl. & K.Krause) R.A.Young, Colocasia esculenta var. illustris (W.Bull) A.F.Hill, Colocasia esculenta var. nymphaeifolia (Kunth) A.F.Hill, Colocasia esculenta f. rotundifolia Makino, Colocasia esculenta var. rupicola (Haines) H.B.Naithani, Colocasia esculenta var. stolonifera (Haines) H.B.Naithani, Colocasia euchlora K.Koch & Linden, Colocasia formosana Hayata, Colocasia gracilis Engl., Colocasia himalensis Royle, Colocasia konishii Hayata, Colocasia neocaledonica Van Houtte, Colocasia nymphaeifolia (Vent.) Kunth, Colocasia peltata (Lam.) Samp., Colocasia vera Hassk., Colocasia violacea (Desf.) auct., Colocasia virosa (Roxb.) Kunth, Colocasia vulgaris Raf., Leucocasia esculenta (L.) Nakai, Steudnera virosa (Roxb.) Prain, Zantedeschia virosa (Roxb.) K.Koch
Common name: Green Taro, cocoyam, taro, aivi, dasheen
Bengali: Kachu, Alti kachu, কচু
Chinese: 广菜
Czech: Kolokázie jedlá
French: Colocase comestible, Songe
Gujrati: અળવી
Hindi: अरवी Arvi, Ashukachu, कचालू Kachalu, अरबी सब्जी arabi sabji
Italian: aro d'Egitto
Japansese: sato-imo
Kannada: Kesavedantu, Keshavanagadde, ಕೆಸು
Malayalam: താള്, Chempu, Chempakizhanna
Manipuri: পান Pan
Marathi: आलू aaloo, चेम्पू Chempu, रान आलू Ran aalu
Mizo: Bal, Dawl
Oriya: Jongal saaru
Sanskrit: Aaluki, Alukam, Alupam, kachchi, Kachchi
Tamil: Sempu, chamakkilangu
Telugu: Chamadumpa, Chamagadda, Chamakura
Description: Herbs, rhizome stoloniferous. Leaves few to many, peltate, 20-28 x 10-18 cm, ovate, cordate to sagittate at base, glabrous; nerves 6 pairs, united to form an intramarginal vein; lowest pair with lateral nerves of the basal lobes, intercostae curved; petiole 30-45 cm long, cylindrical, smooth. Peduncle solitary or few together, 10-20 cm long, stout; spathe to 20 cm long, yellow, lanceolate, constricted above the base; limb acuminate. Spadix 10 cm long, cylindrical, appendages terete, obtuse. Male flowers above, to 5-6 cm of the spadix, stamens 6; female flowers on lower, 2 cm of the spadix; ovary 1-celled, ovules many on 2-4 parietal placentas. Neutral flowers many, peltate, between the female and male flowers. Fruit an aggregate of berries, globose
The leaves contain flavones, api- genin and luteolin, also anthocyanins. Leavescausesevereirritation in mouth. Cooked leaves are a source of dietary fibre for diabetics helping in lower- ing post-prandial blood glucose level. A significant increase in total lipids, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels wasobservedin hypercholesterolaemic rats when fed with dried leaf powder. The pressed juice of the petioles is used as an astringent and styptic. All parts of the plant show an acridity. The acridity is removed by boiling and by addition of baking soda. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
Milk from grated white cocoes is sometimes mixed with coconut milk and taken for biliousness. Lunan speaks of the use of the "roots" (tubers) in the treatment of asthma and consumption. Fawcett records that the juice of the tubers is laxative. In the main, however. writers record the value of the tubers and leaf juice as a dressing for ulcers. swellings. burns and as an excellent styptic. The tubers are said to contain some 20 per cent starch together with mucilage which is probably a polyanhydrite of dglucose. They are much used in tropical countries as food. [ Medicinal Plants of Jamaica]
Whole plant: Grated and mixed with coconut oil and soft grease for an ointment to relieve skin ulcers and acute dermatitis. Grated in poultice with soap and soft grease to treat pre-softened abscesses. Makes nutritive soup ingested to increase milk supply of nursing women. [Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana) ]
Antihyperlipemia activity; rhizome: scrofula, furuncles, carbuncle; leaf stalk: urticaria, diarrhea, ulcer [Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values]
Milk from grated white cocoes is sometimes mixed with coconut milk and taken for biliousness. Lunan speaks of the use of the "roots" (tubers) in the treatment of asthma and consumption. Fawcett records that the juice of the tubers is laxative. In the main, however. writers record the value of the tubers and leaf juice as a dressing for ulcers. swellings. burns and as an excellent styptic. The tubers are said to contain some 20 per cent starch together with mucilage which is probably a polyanhydrite of dglucose. They are much used in tropical countries as food. [ Medicinal Plants of Jamaica]
Whole plant: Grated and mixed with coconut oil and soft grease for an ointment to relieve skin ulcers and acute dermatitis. Grated in poultice with soap and soft grease to treat pre-softened abscesses. Makes nutritive soup ingested to increase milk supply of nursing women. [Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana) ]
Antihyperlipemia activity; rhizome: scrofula, furuncles, carbuncle; leaf stalk: urticaria, diarrhea, ulcer [Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values]
45 Published articles of Colocasia esculenta
