Indian taro

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian taro
• giant elephant ear

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Colocasia gigantea
• Colocasia prunipes
• Caladium giganteum
• Arisaema fouyou

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Alismatales, it is further categorized into the family Araceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Leucocasia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning several regions across Asia. Within China, it is commonly found throughout the South-Central and Southeast territories. Its presence extends to the island of Taiwan in Eastern Asia. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species can be located in Bangladesh. Additionally, the distribution includes the Indo-China region, specifically within Cambodia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Leucocasia gigantea is characterized by a complex survival strategy categorized under specific ecological life forms. Primarily, the plant functions as a cryptophyte, ensuring its survival through specialized underground organs that protect the perennating buds from adverse environmental conditions. Within this classification, it exhibits the characteristics of a geophyte, meaning its vital parts are sequestered beneath the soil surface, allowing it to endure seasonal dormancy and emerge when favorable conditions return. This life history strategy enables the species to navigate fluctuations in temperature and moisture, relying on its subterranean structures to maintain biological continuity throughout its life cycle.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Leucocasia gigantea is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically functioning as a forb. It is an independent organism, meaning it does not exhibit parasitic behavior, and it maintains a terrestrial habit rather than being aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic. In terms of its structural support, the plant is categorized as a self-supporting herb, lacking the climbing tendencies of a liana or vine, and it does not possess any woody tissue, remaining entirely non-woody throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Leucocasia gigantea is characterized by a metabolic framework centered around the C3 photosynthetic pathway, wherein carbon fixation occurs primarily through the enzyme Rubisco during the Calvin cycle. This metabolic strategy involves the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into three-carbon phosphoglycerate molecules within the mesophyll cells, a process that dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and gas exchange dynamics. As a C3 plant, its physiological performance is closely tied to environmental variables such as light intensity and temperature, influencing its transpiration rates and overall carbon assimilation efficiency. This fundamental photosynthetic mechanism governs the energy production and biomass accumulation necessary for the plant's diverse biochemical processes and secondary metabolite synthesis.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Leucocasia gigantea has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Activities

Leucocasia gigantea has 3 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Analgesic, Antioxidant.

Antimicrobial

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Analgesic

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antioxidant

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Preparations

Leucocasia gigantea has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol soluble extract.

Methanol soluble extract

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies