TAROS AND YAUTIAS 8 
KEY TO GENERA. 
Leaf apparently peltate, the basal sinus partly closed____________ CoLOocASIA. 
ieeseayiih Sinus open: tO léatstalks. 2 t XANTHOSOMA. 
KEY TO SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF COLOCASIA. 
A. Habit of plant lax, i. e., leafstalks spreading from base; blades 
usually obliquely nodding from the stalks, which are plain yellow-green. 
B. Mature plants 5 to 6 feet high, usually with numerous lateral 
shoots; tubers elongated; roots and buds deep pink______ C. antiquorum. 
BB. Mature plants 34 to 43 feet high, with few or no lateral shoots; 
tuberssovoid; ‘roots and buds; white 2 32s Taro No. 47147. 
AA. Habit of plant more compact; leafstalks more or less erect; blades 
nearly at right angles with leafstalks, which are usually dark green 
(rarely light green) shaded with maroon. | 
B. Leafstalks green to dark green, usually shaded with maroon; 
roots ‘and buds ‘reddish or rarely white_________________ C. esculenta. 
C. Leafstalks light green, shaded with maroon only near top; 
corms and tubers elongated, with purple fibers in flesh_ PENANG TARO. 
CC. Leafstalks dark green, usually shaded with maroon below 
or throughout; corms and tubers usually ovoid, without 
punple fhers*in: flesh <2) ee fea ae ees Se DASHEEN TYPE. 
BB. Leafstalks yellow-green, very faintly shaded with maroon; 
TOOLS HG sDUIDS. WIC s2 i = Se ee OM EAN YAEL. 
KEY TO VARIETIES OF XANTHOSOMA. 
A. Leaves sagittate; plants 23 to 6 feet high (rarely 2 feet). 
B. Leaves broadly sagittate; stalks without distinct reddish or 
purple shading. 
C. Mature plants 4 to 6 feet high; leafstalks plain green; buds 
of corms and tubers white with reddish tips; flesh white___ Roza. 
CC. Mature plants 24 to 34 feet high; leafstalks green, with 
narrow pink line on margin of wings of sinus of stalks; buds 
of corms and tubers pink; flesh of corm yellow____------ NvuT EDDO. 
BB. Leaves more narrowly sagittate; stalks with distinct reddish 
or purple shading. 
C. Mature plants 3 to 4 feet high; leafstalks shaded below with 
TCMe Set DE OU ZC a wie ek et eee PICA-UNCUCHA. 
CC. Mature plants 2 to 3 feet high; leafstalks shaded below with 
purple and having yellowish white stripe on wings of Sinus 
Rat aAS eal ke eee toe eh a a Le ee ee MALANGA COLORE. 
AA] eaves. iastate: plants 13 -to-2 feet high -=-—_- 22 _ BELEMBE. 
TAROS. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 
The taros are peltate-leaved plants; that is, the petiole is attached 
near the center of the blade instead of at the margin. However, 
this condition is brought about by the partial closing of the original 
laminar sinus (between the basal lobes of the blade). The suture 
formed is easily apparent to the eye (Pl. I, fig. 1). The different 
species and varieties often show marked differences in the degree 
to which the sinus is closed. A rare variety with the sinus open 
practically to the point of attachment of the petiole has been 
observed in Hawaii. 
The taro infloresence,® or “ flower,” consists of a spadix (Pl. IT) 
bearing pistillate and staminate flowers, borne within a rolled spathe 
5 The term inflorescence is used (1) for the disposition of the flowers or flower clusters 
on the plant and (2) for a cluster of flowers. It is in the second sense, with the inclusion 
of the spathe, that the word is used in this bulletin, 
—S Oe ee ne an, Eon ee el 
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