Talk:Colocasia esculenta

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corm?[edit]

This sounds just like the root of the plant. Why not just call it a root vegetable? Sounds less confusing to me. Saritamackita 21:41, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A root is technically different than a corm. A corm can grow on or from a root, and has nodes (which aboveground are what leaves come from). Roots themselves are generally node-less, and either gather water/nutrients from the ground or anchor plants. Corms are more just storage. I think : ) 217.166.94.1 (talk) 13:52, 3 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. A corm is technically a stem, not a root, even though it is underground. That is why it has nodes. A corm, like a tuber, is an underground stem that is modified as a storage organ. Api11aYacheq (talk) 00:21, 7 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Number of species in genus[edit]

No mention has been made at all about taro's association with India. From all information that i have seen, the taro's origin is India/ Bangladesh from where it travelled to Egypt about 2000 yeras ago. Also, taro - known as arvi in Hindi - is a popular food in India. in North India its the taro corm that is more popular whereas in Gujarat and South India, its leaves are consumed in a uniue way. They are lined with rice flour paste, then rolled into long rolls that are cut into rounds. these rounds are either steamed in curries or fried - patrel is a very popular gujarati snack - ratna rajaiah

Obviously you have a problem with facts. Do you have a source for your insistance that there is but one species in the Genus Colocasia? - Marshman 16:54, 15 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Taiwanese and mainlanders[edit]

I removed the statement that taro is also used as an "affectionate name" for mainlanders by Taiwanese, because it seemed more appropriate to the mainlander article than here. It's a fact about language use, rather than about the plant. - Pekinensis 20:04, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I would agree. However, every article namespace has a potential problem of requiring some sort of disambiguation, so its presence here somewhere could be justified. My objection would be that it is really not necessarily an English language factoid, or maybe one that better fits under Taiwan culture or something - Marshman 21:49, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)
It's a cultural reference derived from the plant's perceived contrast to the sweet potato (the nickname for non-Mainlander Taiwanese). But I agree it's not really a mainstream English language reference. A-giau 12:25, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I removed this sentence as I didn't understand it: "Its flower is totally known in Korea; Korean farmers spread it with its corm.". Rmhermen 18:19, 12 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The taro is a flowering plant, but taro does not bloom in Korea. I don't know if it's because of the weather or because of the harvesting, but taro does not spread by seeds in Korea. It's true and any Korean taro farmer can tell you that, although I guess it's difficult to find someone on the web who says the same. --Kjoonlee 17:56, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'll put it back in if I can find a citation. --Kjoonlee 17:56, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I strongly oppose putting China and Taiwan under the same subsection "Chinese cuisine". As it can be seen by other examples in the article, the subsections are structured according to geography, not to "cuisines" (not to mention that Taiwanese cuisine is special, although heavily influenced by Chinese one). The current structure creates an impression that Taiwan is a part of China, a statement which is dubious at the very least. To achieve a more neutral point of view, I propose to remove the "Chinese cuisine" subsection and put "China" and "Taiwan" into their respective subsections.176.106.58.133 (talk) 13:32, 30 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

176.106.58.133: The island used to be attached to the mainland until about 10,000 years ago when the glacier melted, raising the sea level. The influence of mainlanders over the ages cannot be denied. Taiwan's government is referred to as the Republic of China. The People's Republic of China, on the mainland, does not recognize an independent Taiwan and has succeeded in using it's influence to prevent widespread international recognition of the Republic of China: it's not recognized by the UN and few countries have a formal diplomatic relationship with it. Should Taiwan ever declare full-blown independence, the People's Republic of China has a policy "to use force to ensure reunification if peaceful reunification is no longer possible, as stated in its anti-secession law" [Wikipedia]. See the Taiwan article for more details. Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is only relatively independent by the grace of the People's Republic of China. Remember how much trouble Angelina Jolie got herself into when she called Ang Lee "Taiwanese" instead of "Chinese". So, as you can see, it's a complex cultural and political issue. Cuisine and taro are only a small component of the picture. Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 21:53, 31 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Taro as one of earliest cultivated plants?[edit]

"Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants."

Source for this? -- 201.51.201.107 19:16, 8 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Taro is also extensively eaten in Cyprus and South Med. In Cyprus it is called "Kolokasi"


A good source regarding earliest cultivated plants is: Deni Bown. Aroids Plants of the Arum Family. USA, Oregon: Timber Press 2000 second edition.

Best, Xanthosoma

Variety and color?[edit]

I bought Taro from a Japanese food store and also my local super market. I planted it and it came out the same. I went to the Korean market, bought it and the tarot plants look different. The edges of the leaves are purple, really, really dark purple, as are the stems. On the Japanese variety the stems are green with tinges of purple at the base of the stem kind of scattered out rather than concentrated. I read on the internet that there are two basic kinds of taro the "mountain" kind ("asian") and then the "wetland" kind (Hawaiian). However, I did not realize there were sub varieties within that... anyone have an idea what variety of the mountain kind of taro I have that would produce that sort of look? I'm having trouble finding it on the Internet. --Hitsuji Kinno 20:50, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Aloha- 

I am mahi'ai, a kalo farmer from Hawaii. I personally have six variaties of kalo. Mo'i, Pili Ali'i, Mana, Kumu, Ele Ele and Lehua. There are many more. I cannot tell you the name of your plant without seeing it, I just wanted to pass it on, there are still many, many variaties. The university of Manoa has a patent of several kinds of genetically modified kalo, over which there is much debate.

Then could you add something on cultivars? (with references) I can take a picture of the two types of taro... but they are mountain rather than wetland taro... and from what I know Hawaii tends to grow wetland (is that correct?) Noting such things might be useful. There are examples of listed cultivars in banana, carrot, and pineapple articles. Considering the range of taro, listing a few common base groups would be useful.--Hitsuji Kinno 02:31, 24 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hawaii[edit]

Why is half of the article about production in Hawaii, which is not among the top producers, not even the whole USA?--cloviz 16:41, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Aloha- It is true that in Hawai'i we cannot compete with the top kalo producers of the world. There are reasons for this, try acreage. There have also been terrible cases of root rot and snails causing damage to our lo'i. Maybe I can offer you one reason for the mention of Hawai'i in the article. Many lifetimes ago, there lived a man, Wakea, and his wife, Papa, who are the parents of our people. From them was born a stillborn son, Haloa, and from his grave grew the first kalo. Kalo is more than a plant, and source of food, there is a deep connection that involves ohana, family, and a way of life. We could never compete on a global market with "top producers." We have no desire to compete, we no need plenty you see, we only need enough.

I see. It would be interesting to have that story in the article; it demonstrates cultural importance of the plant. I just thought it would be more balanced to have sections on other countries too. But to be sincere, I have never seen a taro in my life...--cloviz 13:11, 22 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's great that the Hawaiian's have deep connection to Taro. However, you're a little pretentious to believe that Hawaiian's alone have this bond. In fact, most indigenous communities have strong bonds with their staple crops. Africans are known to have strong bonds with their crops and land, likewise other Pacific Islanders. It's a shame that this page isn't more representative of Taro worldwide.

differences with ube[edit]

what are the differences other than that ube is purple? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.107.217.63 (talkcontribs) 04:30, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Alternate name?[edit]

I think "malanga coca" might be an alternate name. Badagnani 17:46, 2 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

another from india possibly like sounds "Arbe"77.133.23.219 11:24, 23 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

oxalates[edit]

A user on IRC was having trouble posting this, so I did so in their stead

The article sounds incorrect to me.
1) Does taro contain Calcium oxalate or Oxalic acid or both? intro says one then a couple paragraphs down with get the other with no explanation why the discrepancy.
2) The article says these Oxalates are borken down by cooking. Well no. Calcium Oxalate.monohydrate will break down to CaCO3 at about 500C. Most foods are not cooked at 500C. Oxalic acid is quite stable and decomposes at 189.5C. Most foods are not cooked at this temperature and indeed one would need a rather powerful autoclave.
So what gives? What are the Oxalate levels anyways?

--Agamemnon2 20:00, 14 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

terr 20:03, 14 August 2007 (UTC) thanx. I can edit this para but I could not edit the page itself to insert the para.[reply]

Oxalic acid is a byproduct of plant metabolism that is sequestered as Ca-oxalate crystals. The crystals are found throughout the plant kingdom, but many specialised forms have evolved, and in the aroids, including taro, the crystals have acquired an enzyme, a kind of proteinase that attacks proteins in the mouth parts of herbivores, including us. The resulting itchiness is technically called acridity. The enzyme is heat sensitive and/or found in low levels in domesticated taros and is easily broken by cooking. There is a low correlation between the amount of calcium oxalate (the messenger so to speak) and levels of acridity (the message) in taro. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Researchcooperative (talkcontribs) 13:09, 19 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Size[edit]

I have always heard that it grows with one very large corm (slightly smaller than an American football) and many smaller ones, on one plant. But the article doesn't mention this. Is this correct? Badagnani 06:27, 7 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

root (corm) vs. leaf[edit]

It's important to distinguish in the article between taro root and taro leaves, as both are edible, and the leaves are delicious and extremely nutritious. Please specify and differentiate! Most of this article seems to be about the root, as if it's understood that that is the only useful or edible or desirable part of the plant -- which is hardly the case. Please fix the terminology and specify which part is being discussed in every instance. Thanks. Softlavender (talk) 06:18, 20 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Brown veins in corm[edit]

What are the brownish veins in the corm (which a regular potato, for example, doesn't have)? This should be described in the article. Badagnani (talk) 18:49, 11 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Swamp taro[edit]

I think swamp taro should also be mentioned. This species is (i think) related to taro, is called Cryptosperma chamissonis and has some benefits over regular taro such as:

  • hardier
  • can endure periods of drought

It is an aquatic-type plant, grown in wetlands and used/grown heavily in melanesia and around other areas in the pacific.

Please include, Thanks, KVDP —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.64.200.150 (talk) 17:21, 5 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Proposed merge of Taro with Colocasia esculenta[edit]

I oppose the merging of this article with Colocasia esculenta. There are 5 different cultivated species, at least :

--Lilyu (talk) 10:28, 15 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The above comment conflicts with the article itself, which says that taro is only Colocasia esculenta, and with the articles for each of those other species, which do not call them taro (one is "giant taro", but not just "taro"). Are the others also taro? Two possiblilities:
  • Taro is only that one species, in which case the two articles should certainly be merged
  • "Taro" is a general term covering several species. In that case all those species should remain separate – but the articles need to be changed, with references.
Richard New Forest (talk) 09:15, 11 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I know, I know... references, i'll check if i find something...--Lilyu (talk) 09:20, 16 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose. per User:Lilyu. Also there is sufficient material for separate artciles. One about the specific species from a botany viewpoint and the taro article can link all the species and have all the cultural and culunary info. -- Alan Liefting (talk) - 04:03, 5 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I oppose the merger too. Taro and Eddoe are both C. esculenta, but different varieties that are cooked in different ways. There's lots of material that could be added about the culinary uses of each, and plenty for the botany of the species on a separate page. Nadiatalent (talk) 01:22, 31 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Support the merger, roughly in agreement with Richard New Forest. It does seem (from these articles, from searching on google, and from a quick glance at the scientific literature) that the name Taro is widely used to refer to Colocasia esculenta. As such, I would merge the current article at Taro into Colocasia esculenta, and set up a redirect. That page can then display a message along the lines of "Taro redirects here. For the other plants called Taro, see...". Thomas Kluyver (talk) 11:49, 3 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Support the merger. Taro is an English borrowing of a Polynesian vernacular name that refers specifically to Colocasia esculenta. The expanded use of taro by Europeans (including many academics) has created much confusion because there exist specific vernacular names for all the other edible aroids as well, and these should be borrowed into English as well, ideally.Even the scientific name is a borrowing of sorts - Linnaeus took it from the vernacular Latin colocasia, a cognate of the Greek kolokasi, a cognate of the Arabic qolqas, which in turn is a likely cognate of a Sanskrit word. If we merge the taro under Colocasia esculenta, then other vernacular names can be added alongside 'taro', and the other aroids can have their respective vernacular names explained alongside their standard scientific names.

(Preceding comment by User:Researchcooperative (talk), 19 February 2010) Thomas Kluyver (talk) 16:56, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose and strongly. There's a world of difference between the cultivars of a botanical species raised for food and the species itself. For remarks pointing out the seriousness of this assertion in this particular connection see the comments I have added under the next section calcium oxalate. For Xanthosoma there's a story about a rhino getting very angry having eaten such plants and being particualry dangerous, but I cannot find that reference either now. There's so much more online than there used to be, so searching "Xanthosoma 'angry rhino' " produces surprising irrelevant results 71.227.116.74 (talk) 04:17, 19 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not quite sure what your argument is. Perhaps this illustrates the problem, in fact. You're talking about Xanthosoma, but this article (Taro) says it is describing Colocasia esculenta. To clarify this, we should either move information on other species to their respective pages and merge this with Colocasia esculenta, or make this article clearly cover multiple species. I favour the former approach, because from what I can find, the word "Taro" is primarily used to mean Colocasia esculenta. Oh, and I believe your Rhino story may be found here [1]. I note that the paper does not include Taro as a common name for Xanthosoma. Thomas Kluyver (talk) 11:00, 20 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Calcium oxalate[edit]

Isn't it a little contradictory to say it should be eaten with something containing calcium to be safest, and then in the next sentence say that calcium binds with oxalate and may cause kidney stones? 216.170.23.235 (talk) 03:53, 10 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The article seems to have been edited in the meantime, it now says that it should not be eaten with foods containing calcium, which makes more sense. Thomas Kluyver (talk) 11:59, 3 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's recently been changed back, but this time with a citation. This makes it clearer: when eaten with milk, the oxalate precipitates before being absorbed in the intestine. I agree that that's not very well explained, however. Thomas Kluyver (talk) 00:17, 30 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
See what you think now. Nadiatalent (talk) 01:21, 30 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The problem is that the calcium oxalate is in the form of raphides which are needle-like crystals which irritate the mouth and throat. They are why aroids have milky sap and some have enough to be very bad to eat. That includes varieties of the species which are taro (and other similar foods) that do not have much in the way of raphides and these may be reduced by cooking or mechanically by pounding (as in poi). However other varieties are grown for their ornamental leaves and these can be distinctly high in raphides and quite bad to eat. There's somewhere a Hong Kong Emergency Medicien Journal article about the treatment of those who dig up and eat wild taro and end up in hospital, but I cannot find it at present. Ah! I have found the link http://www.hkcem.com/html/publications/Journal/2001-4/163-165.pdf to "Upper airway obstruction as a presentation of Taro poisoning". However see https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/138/4/I1547-3465-02-055.pdf for the following passage I quote: "Most cultivated forms of taro have some degree of acridity, but wildtype plants are much more acrid, and can only be eaten after very thorough processing. Acridity can cause a severe itching, stinging, or burning sensation in the mouth and throat, followed by swelling and other effects, or a less severe irritation or itching sensation on external skin (on hands and arms for example). The reaction can be immediate (apparently instant) or delayed (a few minutes), weak (tolerable) to strong (intolerable), and short-lasting (minutes) or long-lasting (hours) (author’s experiences). Responses to acridity vary, and some people can tolerate more acridity than others." This should be warning enough. 71.227.116.74 (talk) 04:04, 19 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have several questions about this aspect of the taro article:
1. These statements appear to me to sound contradictory - "It [calcium oxalate - not oxalic acid] can also be reduced by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight. Calcium oxalate is highly insoluble and contributes to kidney stones.". If it's so highly insoluble, how does soaking taro in water accomplish anything? If problematic Ca-oxalate is formed in the gut, how does soaking taro to eliminate C-o before eating it help?
2. Regarding: "The toxin [calcium oxalate - not oxalic acid] is minimized by cooking,[8] especially with a pinch of baking soda.[citation needed] " - I tagged that baking soda statement as needing a citation.
3. I am confused by what Researchcooperative says from that 19 February 2010 post under the topic "oxalates", about the difference between oxalic acid and calcium oxalate. The article mentioned below seems a lot clearer on the subject, but I might be misinterpreting both items.
4. Regarding: "It has been recommended to consume milk or other calcium-rich foods together with taro.[9]" - If oxalic acid is distinguishable from calcium oxalate, then that reference provided may not be as helpful as you think. The link provided is to an abstract of an article called "MILK AND CALCIUM PREVENT GASTROINTESTINAL ABSORPTION AND URINARY EXCRETION OF OXALATE IN RATS", published by Frontiers in Bioscience 8, a117-125, May 1, 2003. This is the link for the full text (PDF version isn't available for free): https://www.bioscience.org/2003/v8/a/1083/fulltext.php?bframe=2.htm The article differentials between oxalic acid (synthesized and ingested) and calcium oxalate (formed in the gut).
From the article:
  • "The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect on urinary oxalate excretion of an acute oral calcium load, standard milk, or high-calcium & low-fat milk, followed by a dose of oxalic acid via a gastrostomy." [Remember, in rats, not humans.]
  • "Although the majority of urinary oxalate is synthesized endogenously, dietary oxalate usually accounts for about 10-20% of the oxalate excreted in the urine (20)."
  • "The findings of this study suggest that intake of calcium salt, standard milk, or high-calcium & low-fat milk along with a high-oxalate meal can significantly reduce gastrointestinal oxalate absorption and urinary excretion."
  • In the Conclusions section: "Therefore, calcium should be consumed with every meal to achieve a balance between calcium & oxalate in the diet, and a low-calcium diet should not be recommended for patients with CaOx stones."
However, to be factual about it, taro is mentioned nowhere in the article nor are any other high oxalic acid foods specifically mentioned. Therefore, the recommendation was NOT "to consume milk or other calcium-rich foods together with taro.[9]" as the article says (this looks like an example of synthesis), but as the conclusion statement simply says, ". . .calcium should be consumed with every meal. . .".
I'm not the brightest bulb, nor am I the dimmest. I am a medium bulb. If I find this section of the article confusing, so will other casual readers. Thank you for your time, Wordreader (talk) 23:43, 31 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I think the species of Phytophthora mentioned may be Phytophthora colocasiae Rac., which is the causal agent of leaf blight on taro (ref. Ann, Kao and Ko, in Mycopathologia vol. 93 pgs. 193-194, available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/k144k20265267387/). If so it is hardly newly identified, as this article is from 1986 and Google provided older references. However, there could be a different species causing the "root rot" mentioned in the article. Pertusaria (talk) 21:08, 8 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I just spotted the reference to P. colocasiae in the Fiji subsection under Cultivation. I was looking at the Hawaii subsection earlier, where the species of the pathogen is unstated. Pertusaria (talk) 21:17, 8 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

GE taro[edit]

I belive there is a GE taro and some opposition to its cultivation. This needs a mention. -- Alan Liefting (talk) - 04:04, 5 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Etymology not quite correct[edit]

The etymology given in the subsection Taro#Names and origin is not quite correct. I'm not inclined to dig up a citation and fix it for Wikipedia, but I'll give you a headstart by observing that these Oceanic /o/ do not reflect Malayo-Polynesian /*a/; i.e. the protoform cannot have been (and is not thought to have been) /*talas/. Also, some specific examples of Oceanic forms (e.g. Motu /talo/) would be more informative than a string of undesignated variants.24.22.141.61 (talk) 22:14, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]


So I think this is related to this section but here "In Cyprus, taro has been in use since the time of the Roman Empire. Today it is known as kolokasi (κολοκάσι), which is similar to the name the Romans used: colocasia." So 'kolokasi' is the singular and the plural would be 'kolokasia' so really it is the same word the romans used — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.104.227.162 (talk) 21:55, 18 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Japan section is problematic[edit]

There is something not quite right about the Japan section. Let me make a few observations: I have noticed that Japan's satoimo does not taste quite like taro. The consistency is also different. I have also noticed that in southern Japan there is something called oyaimo (parent potato), which is much more similar to the taste of taro. Moreover, those who read Japanese will notice that Japanese Wikipedia has two separate articles for "satoimo" and "taroimo". If they are the same thing, then why two separate articles? I think that satoimo is slightly different from what we commonly regard as taro. And I think the Japanese commonly call taro "taroimo" or "oyaimo", not satoimo. I realize that we may be talking here about subsets and supersets, but the fact remains that satoimo is different in taste and texture from taro. As further proof, the article states that taro today is made into taro chips, but I have never seen satoimo chips. --Westwind273 (talk) 01:43, 10 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

One possibility is that satoimo is the other subspecies, C. esculenta var antiquorum (see Eddoe). It's a tangled web--common names get re-used for different species or subspecies, while the scientific names get redefined, or species become subspecies. Do the Japanese articles offer any more clues? Could you link them so that we can look at them via Google translate? Thomas Kluyver (talk) 15:59, 6 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Taroimo is http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BF%E3%83%AD%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A2 Satoimo is http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%88%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A2 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Westwind273 (talkcontribs) 07:30, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The problem with using Google Translate is that it makes the same mistake as the Wikipedia articles. Since it thinks satoimo and taro are the same thing, it translates both as taro. I think we need a knowledgeable person who can read Japanese. --Westwind273 (talk) 05:34, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Taro is taroimo (Colocasia esculenta) in Japanese. Eddoe is satoimo (Colocasia antiquorum) in Japanese. I will make this correction in the article. Also note that the Japanese page for satoimo has the incorrect scientific name. It should be Colocasia antiquorum. --Westwind273 (talk) 03:04, 23 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]
This should have a link to Eddoe. Kortoso (talk) 20:04, 15 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Taro noodles?[edit]

Forgive me of saying a cuisine-related comment. I noticed taro-based noodles in Chinese hotpots. I don't know if it's really made from taro or not, but can anyone confirm the name of this taro-based noodle? Komitsuki (talk) 13:03, 21 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Cultivation[edit]

Judk (talk) 14:39, 4 April 2011 (UTC)Taro can be grown in paddy fields where water is abundant or in upland situations where watering is supplied by rainfall or by supplemental irrigation. Taro is one of the few crops (apart from rice and lotus) that can be grown under flooded conditions. This is possible due to air spaces in the petiole which permit gaseous exchange with the atmosphere under water. For having maximum dissolved oxygen, water should be cool and flowing. Warm and stagnant water causes basal rotting. For maximum yields, the water level should be controlled, so that the base of the plant is always under water. Flooded cultivation has some advantages over the dry-land cultivation. They have higher yields (about double), out-of-season production is possible which might result into higher prices and flooding is good in controlling weeds. On the other hand in flooded production system taro needs a longer maturation period, investment in infrastructure and operational costs are higher, and monoculture is likely. Like most root crops, taro and eddoes do well on deep, moist or even swampy soils where the annual rainfall exceeds 250 cm. Eddoes are more resistant to drought and cold. The crop attains maturity within six to twelve months after planting in dry-land cultivation and after twelve to fifteen months for wetland cultivation. The crop is harvested after a decline in the height and when the leaves turn yellow. The signals are usually less distinct in flooded taro cultivation. Harvesting is usually done by hand tools, even in mechanized production systems. First the soil around the corm is loosened and then the corm is pulled up by grabbing the base of the petioles. The global average yield is 6.2 tones/hectare but vary according to different regions. In Asia, average yields reach 12.6 tones/hectare. Page text.<FAO: Taro cultivation in Asia and the Pacific="test">[2], accessed 04.04.2011.</ref>[reply]

---

Very poorly/illogically structured article. For example, if eddoes is a variety of taro, it makes no sense at all to write "taro and eddoes do well on deep, moist or even swampy soils ". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.68.94.86 (talk) 21:08, 11 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

composition[edit]

Composition - Moisture 63-85%
Carbohydrate (mostly starch) 13-29%
Protein 1.4-3.0%
Fat 0.16-0.36%
Crude Fiber 0.6-1.18%
Ash 0.6-1.3%
Vitamin C 7-9 mg/100g

Judk (talk) 14:53, 4 April 2011 (UTC) Taro has a very high starch contain and the starch is easily digestible. This makes it suitable for allergic people with alimentary disorders. The protein content of Taro is above the content of yam, cassava or sweet potato. Furthermore are the leaves rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and Vitamin C. Judk (talk) 14:53, 4 April 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Article does not answer thee question of whether Taro can produce seed.[edit]

Since in Genesis it says that God gave man all plants bearing seed as food the article does not answer the question of whether Taro is capable of producing seed or not. Can someone answer this question and then add to the article whether this root crop is capable of producing flowers that make seeds? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:306:C518:6C40:F816:1D9C:EAC9:D958 (talk) 03:52, 25 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

sato edis e nato nel 81 e caduto durante nell'ora in qui lavorava e cascatto e gli abbiamo chiamato il prontosocorso.l'abbiamo portato al prontosocorso per vedere cosa e succeso se stava bene o no. l'acaduto consente che sato edis venga pagato per 3 mesi di fila da inail. puo anche chiamare un avocato e andare diretamente li ma invece non la fatto e a acettato. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.40.255.28 (talk) 21:54, 28 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Taro vs Eddoe[edit]

There is a lot of confusion in the article between taro and eddoe. The article starts off by saying that eddoe is a kind of taro. But this is clearly not the case. Taro is Colocasia esculenta. Eddoe is Colocasia antiquorum. They are two different things. Saying one is a kind of the other is clearly incorrect. I would point out that the two are also different in the Japanese language. Taro is "taroimo", and Eddoe is "satoimo". --Westwind273 (talk) 05:48, 26 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

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Cheers.—cyberbot IITalk to my owner:Online 10:47, 23 June 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Link to Dutch page about Taro[edit]

How do I link the Dutch page? https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro Barbara Touburg (talk) 11:29, 12 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@Btouburg: English Wikipedia has separate articles on the plant, Colocasia esculenta, and the use of its root as food (taro). The article on the plant is linked to the Dutch page. Going through Wikidata, it's not possible to link a single article in one language to two articles in a different language. Plantdrew (talk) 16:02, 12 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Aha, I see. Thank you. Barbara Touburg (talk) 16:07, 12 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 5 external links on Taro. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:

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Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 21:06, 5 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Move discussion in progress[edit]

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Colocasia esculenta which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 11:15, 25 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]