Colocasia esculenta

Local Marathi name: Alu,
Bot. name:Colocasia esculenta
Family: Araceae.
Leaves, stems and tubers are cooked and eaten.
Leaves are also used in Vidarbha region  for preparing Pakodas and Alu wadis.[?][?]

Colocasia:
i am a bit confused about the botanical identification of ‘Arbi/Arvi’ and ‘Kacahlu’. can anyone please differentiate…

– Colocasia esculenta
The main corm (rounded rhizome) is kachalu, used in chaat. The the small lateral branches are sold as arvi, used as vegetable.

– Scars are there in plenty if observe them carefully. I am uploading my photograph
you may see this link also Flowers of India

Bot. name: Colocasia esculenta
Family: Araceae.
Leaves, stems and tubers are cooked and eaten.
Leaves are also used in Vidarbha region  for preparing Pakodas and Alu wadis.[?][?]

Flora of Haryana: Colocasia esculenta ‘Fontanesii’ from Delhi Parallel Branch Canal Bank Near Village Khubru Sonipat :
Colocasia esculenta ‘Fontanesii’ from Delhi Parallel Branch Canal Bank Near Village Khubru Sonipat
Escape growing wildly there

escape from what? are they cultivated for eating? if I remember correctly, if this is edible variety…  it contains less irritating crystals…. than regular kochu saag…. many peole prefer them over the green stem variety… IS THAT Correct?

Flora of Kaiga_ID_Please_24082011 PJ3.:
Commonly seen flowering in monsoon. Date/Time-:18/08/11   –    16:30
Location- Place, Altitude – Kaiga , Uttar Kannada ,Karnataka, 380 mtrs
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-   wild
Plant Habit- Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb- shrub
Height/Length- 70cm-1m

My photographs of this are already available at this link : efi thread
Sending a few more.

Affirmative. The local Marathi name is Alu. Being an annual the plants sprout with the onset of the monsoons and from my records over the last few years flowering occurs mainly in August with an occasional spill over into September.

That looks well within the range of variability of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott sensu latu (cf Plucknett 1983. Taxonomy of the genus Colocasia. In: Taro a review of Colocasia esculenta and its Potentials).
In such modified habitats, it could be a natural wild form (wildtype) taking advantage of open, wet conditions, or it could be a cultivar that has naturalised. Our present knowledge of variability in wild and cultivated populations of C. esculenta is not really enough to recognise C. antiquorum as a species (which was probably described by Schott on the basis of a cultivated form).
It would be useful to ask local people if they consider it an edible, corm-forming type, or an acrid wild form with little value, or with minor uses. If considered inedible by them, and if the same form widespread both in modified habitats and more natural environments in your area, and if it forms a breeding population – then it could be a natural population that has expanded into modified habitats. If the distribution is very localised and mainly in modified habitats, then it is more likely to be a feral (naturalised) cultivar.
The petioles of cultivated forms of taro range in colour from pale yellow through light green to dark green, purple and near black, leaf shapes are extremely diverse, spadix morphology is also diverse (sterile appendage varies greatly from absent to very long), and vegetative side shoots range from cormels, to short stolons with cormels, and long stolons without cormels.
When the morphology of a wild form lies within the range of the variability of a highly polymorphic cultigen such as C. esculenta, we need to know a lot more about a particular wild population before we can consider it it to be a wildtype, or a natural species distinct from the cultigen.

• Link1
• Link2

Attaching the images, recorded on 19/6/12 at the same place and of the same population. I have more, recorded elsewhere, but currently fail to find where i kept those.

Sir, The posted pictures are of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott var. aquatilis Hassk. Pl. Jav. Rar. 150 (1848) distributed in tropical Asia as very common wild plant in moist localities.
Characterised by stolons, sterile appendix shorter and inflorescence scented.

Thank you very much Sir for the correct ID.

Colocasia esculenta

Araceae Fortnight 1 Aug to 15 Aug 2014 : Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (wild purple) : SK-46 : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1).
This is also wild, with purple petiole – efi thread

Araceae Fortnight 1 Aug to 15 Aug 2014 : Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (cultivated) : SK-44 : 5 posts by 3 authors.
This is cultivated.

Relatively short petiole, heavily peltate leaves suggest Colocasia, as you have already marked the photographs. Since two sides of the leaf-blade is not always symmetrical (Haines) it may be C. esculenta (L.) Schott. But, if it is smaller ornamental with lamina around 6 x 6 inch can it be C. affinis Schott.?

Yes, it is Colocasia esculenta in flowering.

Araceae, Arecaceae and Zingiberaceae Fortnight :: Araceae :: Colocasia esculenta :: SGNP, Kanheri Caves :: ARKAUG-66 : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (3).
Attached are pictures of Colocasia esculenta captured growing wild at SGNP, Kanheri Caves in August 2014.
Requested to please validate the ID.

Alocasia or Colocasia sp. (Araceae) for ID : 16 posts by 5 authors.

Location : Lengpui, Mizoram
Altitude : 200 – 600 m.
Date : 10-07-2014
Habit : Herb (smaller than Colocasia esculenta)
Habitat : Wild (usually found in new jhums)
Note : The spadix used as vegetable. Available in Aizawl market, etc.

Spadix. Attachments (1).

To me, it is Colocasia.  In the past, I found some small wild Colocasia in the forest.

The leaf at the far right of the photograph seems to be not peltate. If leaves are not peltate or slightly peltate, it would be Alocasia.

Same species. Attachments (5).

Yes, it is Colocasia.

It is Colocasia esculenta, it is relatively, thin stem, leaves light green

I have never seen white spathe in C. esculenta, be it wild or cultivated. FoC, FoP, FoNA inform yellow. Spadix also looks different.
Attached here a photograph of C. esculenta, length varies though not much, colour varies from lighter to darker, but never white.
Maybe it is some other variety which I do not know and which eFloras don’t feature.

This is a common leafy vegetable of wet borders..
Please finalize the id..
Colocasia esculenta ??

Yes in Indonesia this is called Colocasia esculenta ‘Lompong Hitam’

Yes it is Colocasia esculenta

Colocasia esculenta ? : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (5)

Location Rajnagar Kumarghat Unakoti district Tripura
Please confirm identity
Are seeds viable ?

I think this looks like the wild type of Colocasia esculenta. According to a farmer in our area this taro may change its shape and become itchy if eaten.

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I can give names from Bihar …..कंदा , बंडा , कच्चु ……..assuming we are talking about the bigger variant , which I have posted recently in Indian Flora, attached is its photo.
घुईयाँ has been mentioned , करेमु is the name it goes by in Chtrakoot region of UP.
Size can be guessed by pomegrante on the side and also by my hand.
Smaller variant is called अरवी , अरुई.

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Correct Nepali Names: गावा Gaawaa/ कर्कलो Karkalo/ अरुवी Aruvee/  कुचुरो  Kuchuro/ बन कर्कलो  Ban Karkalo/  पिँडालु  Pindaalu

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Thank you very very much … for the correct Nepali names, I will revise my notes.

Thanks very much … for the names prevailing in Bihar. I am assuming these are Hindi names OR are these Bhojpuri ?

Thank you for showing size variants. Gives a clear picture of the sizes.

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कंदा in Bhojpuri region, बंडा in central Bihar, कच्चु in eastern part bordering WB …….. this is for the bigger variant ……. I guess there is no standard Hindi word for it, though Kachaalu seems to be prevalent in MP and some other places.
Smaller variant is called अरवी in Hindi as well as regional languages in Bihar.

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Thanks … May be the large and small variants of the rhizomes were once treated as separate species – which I think is now treated as Colocasia esculenta – though I am not sure.
In Konkan cuisine, we make a steamed delicacy of a tasty mixture wrapped in the leaves. We encounter both, the smaller light fresh green leaves, as well as the larger dark green. Local folks are certainly going to call them by names that will distinguish the two.

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In Marathi, we cook 2 types of अळू, one is  भाजीचे अळू (to make curry) and the other is वडीचे अळू (to make अळूवडी or पात्रा).
Are both of these Colocasia esculenta and if yes, are they related to these smaller and bigger variety?

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I think both these varieties are now Colocasia esculenta … esculenta = edible!
One of them – Colocasia antiquorum (larger, dark green leaves, with conspicuous veins), this one is considered to be synonym of Colocasia esculenta (smaller, bright green leaves).
As much as I know, the larger, dark green leaves are used for aloo vadi / patra … the leaves need extra treatment during cooking to kill the acridity, else can lead to harming lips, tongue, mouth, throat. The smaller, bright green leaved plant (leaves and stem), is used for curry.

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Thanks so much …

So earlier they were 2 species and now have been merged into 1.
Yes and as rightly said, we add tamarind to neutralise the acridity.

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kol-oh-KAY-see-uh — from the Greek word for Egyptian Lotus root … Dave’s Botanary
es-kew-LEN-tuh — edible … Dave’s Botanary
commonly known as: cocoyam, taro • Arabic: قلقاس colcas • Assamese: বন কচু bon kachu, পানী কচু pani kachu • Bengali: বুনোকচু banakochu, জংলিকচু jongli kochu • Bhojpuri: अरुई arui, कंदा kanda • Gujarati: અળવી alavi • Hindi: अरबी arabi, अरुवी aruwi, बंडा banda, घूयां ghuyan, कचालू kachalu, कच्चू kachchu, काला कच्चू kala kachchu, केचुक kechuk, मानक कंचू manak kanchu, नालिका nalika, नालिता nalita, नाड़ी पत्र nari patra, नाड़ीच narich, पेचु pechu, वन कचू van kachu, विश्व रोचन vishva rochan, वितण्डा vitanda • Kannada: ಕೇಸವೆ kesave, ಕೆಸು kesu, ಸಾವೀಗಡ್ಡೆ savigadde • Konkani: तँरँ terem, ವೇಂಟಿ venti • Malayalam: ചേമ്പ് chemp, മാണം manam, താള് tal • Manipuri: পান pan • Marathi: अलें alem, आळू alu • Mizo: bâl, dawl • Nepali: अरुवी aruvee, गावा gaawaa, कर्कलो karkalo, कुचुरो kuchuro, पिँडालु pindaalu • Odia: କଚୁ kachu, ପେଚୁ pechu, ସାରୁ saru • Punjabi: ਗਾਗਲੀ gagli, ਗਵੀਆਂ gawian, ਕਚਾਲੂ kachalu • Sanskrit: दलसारिणी dalasarini, कचु kachu, कच्वी kachvi, कालकचु kalakachu, केमुक kemuka, नाडीच nadicha, नाडिपत्त्र nadipattra, नालिता nalita, पेचु pechu, शकट shakata, त्रुटिबीज trutibija, वनकचु vanakachu, विश्वरोचन vishvarochana, वितण्डा vitanda • Sindhi: ڪَچالۇ kachalu • Tamil: சேம்பு chempu, நீர்ச்சேம்பு nir-c-cempu, பேசுலம் peculam • Telugu: చామ chama, చేమ chema • Tulu: ಅಂಬುಗೆ ambuge, ಚೆವು chevu, ಕೆಸು kesu, ತೇವು thevu • Urdu: اروي aruwi, گهويان ghuyan, کچالو kachalu, کچو kachchu, کيچك kechuk, نالکا nalika, نالتا nalita, پيچو pechu, ناڙيچ narich, وتنڐا vitanda
botanical names: Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott … synonyms: Arum colocasia L. • Arum esculentum L. • Caladium esculentum (L.) Vent. • Caladium nymphaeifolium Vent. • Colocasia antiquorum Schott • Colocasia colocasia (L.) Huth • Colocasia nymphaeifolia (Vent.) Kunth • Leucocasia esculenta (L.) Nakai • Steudnera virosa (Roxb.) Prain • Zantedeschia virosa (Roxb.) K.Koch … status at GBIF
September 14, 2019 … Vasai Killa

I am continually amazed at your labor of love! So many names in so many languages! Nobody else can do this!!

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Yes. Well said, …

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What a nice set of sentiments, all in black and white for people to see, read and savour.

Three of my favorite persons in land of Botany, flora and fauna of India.

way back when, if I wanted to look up Indian flora or birds

I found them in WIKI commons: GARG ji

in  Flickr : Dinesh

and Flowers of India: Tabish

Did not know who were these folks,

I only knew you had superb photography skills and presented them with an open heart.

Garg ji was on creative commons,

flicker photos of Dinesh did not have watermarks

and FOI was extensive and indexed. Later came to to know the name of the owner of the site: Tabish
I am glad to know you guys.

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kol-oh-KAY-see-uh — from the Greek word for Egyptian lotus root … Dave’s Botanary
es-kew-LEN-tuh — edible … Dave’s Botanary

commonly known as: cocoyam, taro • Adi: anyi, engee • Angami: dzüboun, dzüno, dzünuo • Arabic: قلقاس culcas • Assamese: কচু kachu • Bengali: কচু kochu • Bhojpuri: अरुई arui, कंदा kanda • Bodo: tharoon • Dogri: कचालू kachalu • Garo: thabisa • Gujarati: અળવી alavi • Hindi: अरबी arabi, अरुवी aruwi, बंडा banda, घूयां ghuyan, कचालू kachalu, कच्चू kachchu, काला कच्चू kala kachchu, केचुक kechuk, मानक कंचू manak kanchu, नालिका nalika, नालिता nalita, नाड़ी पत्र nari patra, नाड़ीच narich, पेचु pechu, विश्व रोचन vishva rochan, वितण्डा vitanda • Kannada: ಕೆಸವು kesavu, ಕೆಸುವಿನ ದಂಟು kesuvina dantu, ಸಾವೆಗೆಡ್ಡೆ savegedde • Konkani: तँरँ terem, ವೇಂಟಿ venti • Malayalam: ചേന്പു chempu, താള് tal • Manipuri: ꯄꯥꯟ পান pan • Marathi: अलें alem, आळू alu • Mizo: bâl, dawl • Nepali: अरुवी aruvee, गावा gaawaa, कर्कलो karkalo, कुचुरो kuchuro, पिँडालु pindaalu • Odia: କଚୁ kachu, ପେଚୁ pechu, ସାରୁ saru • Punjabi: ਗਾਗਲੀ gagli, ਗਵੀਆਂ gawian, ਕਚਾਲੂ kachalu • Sanskrit: दलसारिणी dalasarini, कचु kachu, कच्वी kachvi, कालकचु kalakachu, केमुक kemuka, नाडीच nadicha, नाडिपत्त्र nadipattra, नालिता nalita, पेचु pechu, शकट shakata, त्रुटिबीज trutibija, वनकचु vanakachu, विश्वरोचन vishvarochana, वितण्डा vitanda • Santali: ᱥᱟᱹᱨᱩ saru • Sindhi: ڪَچالۇ kachalu • Tamil: சேம்பு chempu, நீர்ச்சேம்பு nir-c-cempu, பேசுலம் peculam • Telugu: చామ chama, చామదుంప chamadumpa, చామకూర chaamakoora, చామగడ్డ chamagadda, చేమ chema, కాలడి kaladi, సరికంద sarikanda • Tulu: ಅಂಬುಗೆ ambuge, ಚೆವು chevu, ಕೆಸು kesu, ತೇವು thevu • Urdu: اروي aruwi, گهويان ghuyan, کچالو kachalu,کچو kachchu, کيچك kechuk, نالکا nalika, نالتا nalita, ناڙيچ narich, پيچو pechu, وتنڐا vitanda

ಕೆಸುವಿನ ದಂಟು kesuvina dantu

• Many thanks to Dr Mahadeswara Swamy for help with this name … efloraofindia

ಸಾವೆಗೆಡ್ಡೆ savegedde

• Alar – an authoritative Kannada-English dictionary corpus created by V. Krishna
• or ಸಾವೀಗಡ್ಡೆ savigadde … for synonym Arum colocasia L. … Five Hundred Indian Plants by Basel Mission, Mangalore

~~~~~ KONKANI ~~~~~

तँरँ terem

• or तेंरें terem … Flora of Goa – webpage no longer available

ವೇಂಟಿ venti

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … Five Hundred Indian Plants by Basel Mission, Mangalore

~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~

ചേന്പു chempu

• for synonym Caladium esculentum (L.) Vent. … A Malayalam and English dictionary by Hermann Gundert

താള് tal

• Wikipedia

~~~~~ MANIPURI ~~~~~

ꯄꯥꯟ পান pan

• Flowers of India

~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~

अलें alem

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … A dictionary, Marathi and English by Molesworth, J. T. (James Thomas)

आळू alu

• The Gazetteer Department … महाराष्ट्रातील वनस्पतीशास्त्र आणि वनसंपदा
• or अळू alu … Wikipedia … मराठवाड्यात अळूला चमकोरा / चमकुरा असे पण म्हणतात

~~~~~ MIZO ~~~~~

bâl, dawl

• Dictionary of the Lushai language by James Herbert Lorrain

~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~

अरुवी aruvee, गावा gaawaa, कर्कलो karkalo, कुचुरो kuchuro, पिँडालु pindaalu

• Many thanks to Saroj Kumar Kasaju for help with these names … efloraofindia

~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~

କଚୁ kachu, ପେଚୁ pechu, ସାରୁ saru

• for taro colocasia / synonym Arum colocasia L. … Purnnachandra Ordia Bhashakosha by Praharaj, G.C.

~~~~~ PUNJABI ~~~~~

ਗਾਗਲੀ gagli, ਗਵੀਆਂ gawian, ਕਚਾਲੂ kachalu

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … The Panjabi dictionary. Bhai Maya Singh

~~~~~ SANSKRIT ~~~~~

दलसारिणी dalasarini, कचु kachu, कच्वी kachvi, कालकचु kalakachu, केमुक kemuka (or केचुक kechuka), नाडीच nadicha, नाडिपत्त्र nadipattra, नालिता nalita, पेचु pechu, शकट shakata, त्रुटिबीज trutibija, वनकचु vanakachu, विश्वरोचन vishvarochana, वितण्डा vitanda

• ॥ विकिशब्दकोशः॥ स्वतन्त्रः संस्कृतशब्दकोशः

~~~~~ SANTALI ~~~~~

ᱥᱟᱹᱨᱩ saru

• A Santali-English dictionary by A. Campbell, of the Santal mission
• Many thanks to Prasanta Hembram for help with this name … efloraofindia

~~~~~ SINDHI ~~~~~

ڪَچالۇ kachalu

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … A Sindhi-English dictionary by Parmanand Mewaram

~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~

சேம்பு chempu

• Wikipedia

நீர்ச்சேம்பு nir-c-cempu

• for synonym Colocasia antiquorum Schott … Tamil lexicon [Madras], University of Madras

பேசுலம் peculam

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … Tamil lexicon [Madras], University of Madras

~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~

చామ chama

• for synonym Caladium nymphaeifolium Vent. … A Telugu-English dictionary by Charles Philip Brown

చేమ chema

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … A Telugu-English dictionary by Charles Philip Brown

చామదుంప chamadumpa, చామకూర chaamakoora, చామగడ్డ chamagadda, కాలడి kaladi, సరికంద sarikanda

• Flora Andhrika – Plant Wealth of Andhra Pradesh, India

~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~

ಅಂಬುಗೆ ambuge

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … Tulu-English Dictionary (1886) by Rev. A. Männer … this name for the inflorescence

ಚೆವು chevu

• Shodhganga – Medicinal plants of Tulunadu

ಕೆಸು kesu

• बॆरकॆ अट्टिल् – changing the way in which Tuluvas consume their food

ತೇವು thevu

• Tulu-English Dictionary (1886) by Rev. A. Männer … ತೇವುದ ಕಾರ್ thevuda karu … the leaf-stalk of the plant
• बॆरकॆ अट्टिल् – changing the way in which Tuluvas consume their food
• Shodhganga – Medicinal plants of Tulunadu
• Five Hundred Indian Plants by Basel Mission, Mangalore

~~~~~ URDU ~~~~~

اروي aruwi, گهويان ghuyan, کچالو kachalu, کچو kachchu, نالکا nalika, نالتا nalita, وتنڐا vitanda

• for synonym Arum colocasia L. … A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English by John T. Platts

کيچك kechuk, ناڙيچ narich, پيچو pechu

• for synonym Colocasia antiquorum Schott … A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English by John T. Platts

~~~~~ x ~~~~~

Names compiled / updated at
https://dineshvalke.blogspot.com/2022/04/colocasia-esculenta-l-schott.html

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at Shahapur- Sept’10;

Taro flowering – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Flora of Manipur: Colocasia esculenta – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Black Taro (Colocasia esculenta ‘Fontanesii’ ) – indiantreepix | Google Groups

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