Taro
Colocasia esculenta
family
Araceae
origin
Native
declaration
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Common names
Coco yam, Cocoyam, Dasheen, Eddo, Elephant ears, Elephant's ear, Taro, Wild taro.
A large herbaceous plant growing up to 1 m or more tall that produces tuberous creeping stems. Its very large leaves (17-70 cm long) are heart-shaped and borne on thick, spongy, stalks 30-100 cm long. These upright leaf stalks are joined to the undersides of leaf blades and are usually purplish in naturalised plants. Its elongated flower clusters (6-21 cm long) have green female flowers at the base and yellowish male flowers towards the tip. These clusters are mostly enclosed by a large greenish-yellow or yellow bract 20-35 cm long. Its fruit are small oval berries (3-5 mm long) that turn orange or red as they mature.
Impact
Impact
"Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales and south-western Western Australia. This species is of particular concern in south-eastern Queensland and was recently ranked among the 200 most invasive plants in the region. It has spread from cultivation as a garden ornamental and invaded waterways and wetlands, where it forms large and dense colonies and replaces native aquatic plants., It is also a problem in the coastal districts of New South Wales, north from Wyong, and is increasingly becoming a cause for concern along the waterways of the Swan and Moore River catchments in south-western Western Australia."
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
"Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales and south-western Western Australia. This species is of particular concern in south-eastern Queensland and was recently ranked among the 200 most invasive plants in the region. It has spread from cultivation as a garden ornamental and invaded waterways and wetlands, where it forms large and dense colonies and replaces native aquatic plants., It is also a problem in the coastal districts of New South Wales, north from Wyong, and is increasingly becoming a cause for concern along the waterways of the Swan and Moore River catchments in south-western Western Australia."
