TAROS AND YAUTIAS 9 
meaning “from China”). The dasheens constitute one of several 
more or less distinct groups of taros belonging to the species Colo- 
casia esculenta (L.) Schott. The three most promising varieties of 
dasheens, the Trinidad, Sacramento, and Ventura, are dealt with 
fully in Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1396; and this group of taros will be 
mentioned only briefly here. 
The Trinidad dasheen (Pl. VI, fig. 1) is the type variety of this 
group, as it was to this that the name dasheen was originally ap- 
plied. In the dasheen the tuberous part of the plant consists of one 
or more large corms, weighing from 1 to 8 pounds each, and from 
10 to nearly 100 lateral tubers, ranging from less than an ounce to 
10 ounces each. In form the corms range from irregularly oval 
to nearly spherical; the lateral tubers are usually ovoid, though 
sometimes elongated or irregular in shape. The best dasheens are 
dry and mealy, with a delicate nutty flavor when cooked. 
S. P. I. Nos. 36057 and 45780.—Two other taros, very similar to 
each other and much resembling the Trinidad dasheen in appear- 
ance, are likely to become of value as the crop increases in im- 
portance. One of these, S. P. I. No. 36057, was obtained from 
Southern Rhodesia. It was reported by the sender, Dr. W. L. 
Thompson, of Mount Silinda, to be the best of several varieties 
grown there under the common name “amadumbe.” The second 
variety, S. P. I. No. 45780, was sent under the name Ta-yii (large 
“vii,” or taro) by Mrs. W. M. Loosley, Sienku, Chekiang, China. 
These two taros, or dasheens, grow 34 to 4 feet in height, and the 
. petioles are shaded the entire length with a strongly reddish maroon. 
The corms are often elongated and usually do not much exceed a 
pound in weight. They are rather moist, smooth in texture, and of | 
pleasing taste; after a few weeks in storage they become slightly 
mealy when cooked. The tubers are somewhat oval and seldom 
weigh more than 8 ounces each; they are even moister than the corms 
and do not develop the mealy cooking quality. The corms, on ac- 
count of their smooth texture, are especially suited for salad use; 
because of the moisture they contain, however, they are often better 
baked than boiled even for this purpose. 
SMALL-TUBERED JAPANESE TAROS. 
Several varieties of taros of the dasheen type which have been 
obtained from Japan, and in some instances also from China, are 
considerably smaller than those of the Trinidad variety in size of 
leaf, corm, and tuber (Pl. VII, fig. 1). Some are of rather inferior 
quality, but a few are very good. Nearly all mature a month earlier 
than the larger varieties. Flowering is very rare among these taros 
and, according to report, has never been witnessed by many growers 
in Japan. A flowering plant is shown in Plate VI, Figure 2. 
VARIETIES. 
Yatsu-gashira, S. P. I. No. 40805.—This is one of the best of the 
small-growing short-season Japanese taros. The petioles are black- 
ish maroon except near the leaf blade. ‘The corm is 4 to 6 inches 
