General Information

COMMON NAMES: Chinese Taro, Chinese Ape GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Sri Lanka - ne.India - Burma - China COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands - valleys SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental leaves KEY FEATURES: Erect clumped herb to 1m. LEAVES basal lobes fused and upturned, heart-shaped, to 35x30cm, glossy green with prominent veins; leaf-stalk long, to 1m. FLOWER blue-green leaf-like tube (=spathe) to 12cm; inner rod (=spadix) with minute flowers, male at base and female centrally. FRUIT berry with 1-few seeds.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+	++	+++				-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Alocasia cucullata (Lour.)
SYNONYMS: Arum cucullatum

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); ARECIDAE; Arales; ARACEAE

GENERAL NOTE: The corms are used as food in India. An important medicinal plant in China, where it is called Chimi Mi Yu (Pointed-tail Aroid) [ACSmith, Fiji Flora]

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field ID, Tupapa, Ara Metua, ID B.Sykes, 8/2000.

References:
p.155 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.56 Hortus 3rd
p.50 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.88 Tropica
p.1/454 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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