English: Giant swamp taro.
Synonyms: Cyrtosperma lasioides; Cyrtosperma chamissonis; Cyrtosperma edule.
Clades:
Araceae;
Arales;
Aridae;
Lilianae;
Angiospermae;
Plants;
Kingdoms.
Region: Oceania, South and Southeast Asia, Indonesia.
Habitat: adapted to fresh water and coastal swamps; prefers sun, tolerates some shade; mildly tolerant of salt, brackish water.
Use: swamp crop similar to taro, with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots; important source of carbohydrates in a diet dominated by fish and coconut; takes up to 15 years to mature.
BotanyType: herb; riverine; 4 to 6 m tall; slow growing.
Root: corm, large, up to 80 kg to 100 kg weight, 1 m long, 1 m diameter; starchy; cream or pink; taste similar to sweet potato, drier in texture.
Leaves: sagittate; large, to 2 m long, 120 cm wide; petioles up to 6 m long, 10 cm wide.