THE TAROS OF TAHITI AND THE MARQUESAS 



By J. O. Staxcliff 



'T^ARO, which is very similar to caladium, or elephant-ear. 

 -'■ and has a cultivated prototype, the dasheen, in the 

 Southern States, exists in Polynesia in several distinct vari- 

 eties. Ape, the most conspicuous, is sometimes known as the 

 giant arum. It lifts its enormous, shining, dark green leaves 

 from stream beds and swampy places throughout the islands. 

 Unlike our caladium, ape, is useful as well as ornamental. 

 I understand its stems can be pounded up and baked in bam- 

 boo stems, and also that the roots may be eaten, though you 

 must bake them throughout a night with sugar, or some equiv- 

 alent process. The leaves are- perhaps twice as large as cal- 

 adium leaves, or as large as an ordinary window. 



The ordinary edible taro ( considered classable under 

 Colocasia esculenta) is likewise a beautiful esculent. Often 

 have I feasted upon its roots in Tahauku, a wild Marquesan 

 vale of the sun-kissed isle of Hiva-oa, overhung with rocky, 

 cloud-encircled heights. The stems are delicately tinged with 

 purple, the velvety, light green leaves show silver backs when 

 immersed in the stream, and it seems almost a sacrilege to 

 despoil a creek of its waving leaves. After I had eaten many 

 taro roots in Tahauku. the natives' gods became angry and 

 sent a freshet, which for several days filled the crystal-clear 

 creek with a rushing brown current, sweeping before it every 

 taro leaf, and leaving the songful creek of Tahauku terribly 

 bare for a time. 



But growth is rapid in these sunny climes. One of the 

 rare tidal waves, arriving about three weeks ahead of me in 



