For the moth genus, see Colocasia (moth).
| Colocasia/ Kesuvina Ele ( Kannada) |
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| Colocasia esculenta |
| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Plantae |
| (unranked): |
Angiosperms |
| (unranked): |
Monocots |
| Order: |
Alismatales |
| Family: |
Araceae |
| Subfamily: |
Aroideae |
| Tribe: |
Colocasieae |
| Genus: |
Colocasia
Schott |
| Species |
|
See text.
|
| Synonyms |
|
Leucocasia Schott[1]
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Colocasia is a genus of 25 or more species[2][3] of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia.[4] Common names include Elephant-ear, Taro, Cocoyam, Dasheen, Chembu, and Eddoe. Elephant-ear and Cocoyam are also used for some other large-leaved genera in the Araceae, notably Xanthosoma and Caladium. The generic name is derived from the ancient Greek word kolokasion which in the Greek botanist Dioscorides (1st century AD) meant the edible roots of both Colocasia esculenta and Nelumbo nucifera.[5] It is thought that the edible roots of Colocasia esculenta have been cultivated in Asia for more than ten thousand years.[6]
They are herbaceous perennial plants with a large corm on or just below the ground surface. The leaves are large to very large, 20–150 cm (7.9–59.1 in) long, with a sagittate shape. The elephant's-ear plant gets its name from the leaves, which are shaped like a large ear or shield. The plant reproduces mostly by means of rhizomes (tubers, corms) but it also produces "clusters of two to five fragrant inflorescenes in the leaf axils".[7] Like other members of the family, the plant contains an irritant which causes intense discomfort to the lips, mouth and throat. This acridity is caused in part by microscopic needle like raphides of calcium oxalate monohydrate and in part by another chemical, probably a protease.[8] The acridity helps to naturally deter herbivores from eating it. It must be processed by cooking, soaking or fermenting - sometimes along with an acid (lime or tamarind) before being eaten.[9] The species is dangerously invasive into wetlands along the American Gulf coast, where it threatens to displace native wetland plants.[10] As only a few examples, it is on the invasive species list for Texas and Florida
Contents
- 1 Selected species
- 2 Ecology
- 3 Cultivation
- 4 Uses
- 4.1 Recipe of Kesa or Kesuvina Palya
- 4.2 Other States
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Selected species[edit]
- Colocasia affinis Schott (syn. C. marshallii)[citation needed]
- Colocasia bicolor C.L.Long & L.M.Cao
- Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (syn. C. antiquorum) – Taro, Elephant-ear, Eddoe
- Colocasia fallax Schott
- Colocasia fontanesii Schott
- Colocasia formosan Hayata
- Colocasia gaoligongensis H.Li & C.L.Long
- Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook.f. – Giant Taro
- Colocasia gongii C.L.Long & H.Li
- Colocasia gracilis Engl.
- Colocasia heterochroma H.Li & Z.X.Wei
- Colocasia humilis Hassk.
- Colocasia konishii Hayata
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- Colocasia latifolia Rojas
- Colocasia lihengiae C.L.Long & K.M.Liu
- Colocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott
- Colocasia mannii Hook.f.
- Colocasia marchalii Engl.
- Colocasia menglaensis J.T.Yin, H.Li & Z.F.Xu
- Colocasia neocaledonica L.Van Houtte
- Colocasia obtusiloba Kunth
- Colocasia oresbia A.Hay
- Colocasia rapiformis Kunth
- Colocasia tibetensis J.T.Yin
- Colocasia yunnanensisC.L.Long & X.Z.Cai
- List sources :[2][3][11]
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Formerly placed here[edit]
- Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Roxb.) Zoll. & Moritzi (as C. neoguineensis Linden ex André)
- Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G.Don (as C. indica (Lour.) Kunth)[11]
Ecology[edit]
Colocasia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Palpifer murinus and Palpifer sexnotatus.
Cultivation[edit]
C. esculenta and other members of the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants, or for their edible corms, a traditional starch staple in many tropical areas.
The plant can be grown in the ground or in large containers. They are grown outside year-round in subtropical and tropical areas. In temperate regions, they are planted out for the summer and dug up and stored over winter, dry and with ventilation to prevent fungal infection. They can be grown in almost any temperature zone as long as the summer is warm. Growth is best at temperatures between 20 to 30 °C (68 to 86 °F). The plants can be damaged if temperatures fall below 10 °C (50 °F) for more than a few days.
The root tuber is typically planted close to the surface. The first signs of growth will appear in 1 to 3 weeks. The adult plant will need a minimum of at least 1 m2 (11 sq ft) of space for good growth. They do best in compost-rich soil and in shade, but will grow reasonably well in average soil provided it is moisture-retentive. The plants should not be left to go dry for too long; if this does happen, the leaves will wilt; watering will allow the plant to recover if done before they get too dry. Periodic fertilisation (every 3 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertiliser will increase yields.
Uses[edit]
The edible types are grown in the South Pacific and eaten like potatoes and known as taro, eddoe, and dasheen. The leaves are often boiled with coconut milk to make a soup which is rich in iron.
Poi, a Hawaiian dish, is made by boiling the starchy underground stem of the plant.[12]
In the Indian subcontinent both roots and leaves are used. In Manipur, the leaves are used to make one of the type of a manipuri ethnic cuisine, locally known as Utti (pronounce as ootti). Utti has many types, one being this. The leaves are called Paangkhoklaa by the Manipuris. And the edible corms are known as Paan, often used to make curries along with fermented soya beans and also use to make Eromba, a famous ethnic Manipuri side dish. In Mithalanchal (Bihar) the leaf is called airkanchanand and they make curry of it. In Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga, and Udupi districts of Karnataka state, they are used to make Patrode. Also, in Chikkamagaluru district, this leaf is used to make a curry, commonly known as Kesa or Kesuvina palya. This curry is most often eaten with Akki Rotti.
Recipe of Kesa or Kesuvina Palya[edit]
The Colocasia leaves or Kesuvina leaves are finely chopped and neatly washed with water. Then the chopped Colocasia leaves are cooked in Pressure cooker by adding a little water, not more than 5% of the quantity of colocasia leaves. The leaves are cooked for almost 10 minutes or until the steam cooker attains 4-5 pressure whistles. The cooked leaves are then boiled in low flame. Meanwhile, Spicy chillies, preferably Jeerige Menasinakayi (native to Malenadu region of Chikkamagaluru) and Garlic are ground into paste and added to the cooked colocasia leaves and stirred. To this mixture, Lemon extract is added, preferably 2-3 lemon extracts and cooked for 3–4 minutes. Now, Kesa or Kesuvina palya is ready to eat. It is recommmended to eat this with Akki rotti or rice with ghee. This dish is native to Chikkamagaluru and can be asked for in Home Stays and Resorts in Chikkamagaluru. This leaf is also used in Gujarat by the name "Arvi" and is used to make a steamed dish similar to Patrode, but with gram flour instead of rice flour as in Patrode.
Other States[edit]
In Kerala state, the leaves are used to make chembila curry, and the roots are used in chembu puzhukku, a traditional accompaniment to Kerala congee. Various other recipes also exist locally. The stem and root are also used in the preparation of Ishtu and Moru curry. The leaves were also used as umbrellas during old times. In TamilNadu, it is boiled, peeled and fried and used as a side-dish with rice. In Uttarakhand the leaves are used to make a dish known as Gaabaa, whereas the stem is enclosed in Urad dal paste and dried to make Badi. In Gujarat, they are used to make Patra. In Andhra cuisine, the roots are boiled, peeled, and fried as an entree with rice, or they may be boiled along with a gravy called "Pulusu", and the leaves are also used. In Maharashtra state, the leaves are used to make a sweet sour curry with peanuts and cashewnuts ( a common dish made during marriages) and the leaf bases made into a side dish " Dethi" with curds. In Nagaland, the leaves are dried, powdered, kneaded into a dough and baked into biscuits that are burnt and then dissolved in boiling water before being added into meat dishes to create a thick, flavourful dry gravy. In Cypriot cuisine they are used in a chicken or pork and vegetable stew.
References[edit]
- ^ GRIN (October 5, 2007). "Colocasia Schott". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
- ^ a b "Query Results for Genus Colocasia". IPNI. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ a b "Name - Colocasia Schott subordinate taxa". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ Wagner, W. L., D. R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i. Revised edition. Vol. 2. University of Hawaiʻi Press/Bishop Museum Press. p. 1357.
- ^ Dioscorides in English translation is available from the links at the Wikipedia Dioscorides page. In the translation of Dioscorides by Tess Anne Osbaldeston (year 2000) see pages 248 and 331-332 for collocasia and colocassion.
- ^ Brown, Deni. 2000. Aroids. Plants of the Arum Family. Timber Press, Oregon.
- ^ Brown, Deni. 2000. Aroids. Plants of the Arum Family. Timber Press, Oregon. p. 250.
- ^ Bradbury, J. Howard; Nixon, Roger W. (1998). "The acridity of raphides from the edible aroids". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 76 (4): 608–616. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(199804)76:4<608::AID-JSFA996>3.0.CO;2-2. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- ^ Ramanatha, R.V.; Matthews, P.J.; Eyzaguirre, P.B.; Hunter, D., ed. (2010). The global diversity of taro: ethnobotany and conservation. Rome (Italy): Bioversity International. p. 202. ISBN 978-92-9043-867-0.
- ^ Keddy, P.A., D. Campbell, T. McFalls, G. Shaffer, R. Moreau, C. Dranguet, and R. Heleniak. 2007. The wetlands of lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas: past, present and future. Environmental Reviews 15: 1- 35.
- ^ a b GRIN. "Species in GRIN for genus Colocasia". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
- ^ World Book Encyclopedia
External links[edit]
- Invasive plant in Florida [1]
- Invasive plant in Florida]http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/108]
- Hardy Tropicals information page on Colocasia esculenta
