Xanthosoma, is a group of plants from the Araceae family, in some species it is also used as an ornamental plant. The genus Xanthosoma has known more than 50 species, most of which are found in tropical America.
The name “xanthosoma”, comes from the Greek words (Xanthos) meaning “yellow”, and (soma) meaning “body”.
Several species of the genus Xanthosoma are used in agriculture, grown to produce flour from tubers. In tropical America, starch from Xanthosoma tubers is a staple food, known as malanga, otoy, otoe, cocoyam, tannia, tannier, yautía, macabo, macal, taioba, dasheen, quequisque, ape and taro kongkong in Papua New Guinea.
Several species are also used as ornamental plants, one of which is Xanthosoma roseum, known as the ‘elephant ear’. Leaf size in most of the Xanthosoma genus is 40-200 cm long and arrow-shaped (sagittate).
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Plantae
Angiosperms
Monocots
Alismatales
Araceae
Aroideae
Caladiea
Xanthosoma Schott
50 species
Synonyms:
Acontias Schott
Most of the genus Xanthosoma is thought to have originated in the northern lowlands of South America, spreading to the Antilles and Mesoamerica. Until now Xanthosoma plants can still be found throughout the region. Xanthosoma is very popular in Cuba and Puerto Rico where it is used for food and used in alcapurrias or stews. It is also found in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica for the popular dish called callaloo. Apart from America, Xanthosoma is also found in West Africa, where it can be used as a substitute for sweet potatoes in a regional dish called fufu. Xanthosoma was also developed in the Philippines.
Xanthosoma has a 9 to 11 month growing cycle, during which time it produces large stems called tubers the size of a potato.
Some species of the genus Xanthosoma:
Xanthosoma acutum
Xanthosoma akkermansii
Xanthosoma albo-marginata
Xanthosoma angustisectum
Xanthosoma appendiculatum
Xanthosoma aristeguietae
Xanthosoma atrovirens
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. appendiculatum
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. hybridum
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. kochii
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. moritzii
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. panduriforme
Xanthosoma atrovirens var. versicolor
Xanthosoma aureum
Xanthosoma auriculatum
Xanthosoma baguense
Xanthosoma barilletii
Xanthosoma bayo
Xanthosoma belophyllum
Xanthosoma belophyllum var. caracassanum
Xanthosoma belophyllum var. kunthi
Xanthosoma bilineatum
Xanthosoma blandum
Xanthosoma bolivaranum
Xanthosoma brasiliense - (Tahitian spinach)
Xanthosoma brevispathaceum
Xanthosoma × brownii O.Deg., Fl. Hawaiiensis
Xanthosoma buchtienii
Xanthosoma caladioides
Xanthosoma caracasanum
Xanthosoma caracu - (yautia horqueta)
Xanthosoma caulotuberculatum
Xanthosoma clarense
Xanthosoma conspurcatum
Xanthosoma contractum
Xanthosoma cordatum
Xanthosoma cordifolium
Xanthosoma croatanum
Xanthosoma cubense
Xanthosoma daguense
Xanthosoma daguense var. amargalense
Xanthosoma daguense var. chinense.
Xanthosoma dealbatum
Xanthosoma edule
Xanthosoma eggersii
Xanthosoma exiguum
Xanthosoma feuersteiniae
Xanthosoma flavomaculatum
Xanthosoma fractum
Xanthosoma gracile
Xanthosoma granvillei
Xanthosoma guttatum
Xanthosoma hastatum
Xanthosoma hastifolium
Xanthosoma hebetatum
Xanthosoma helleborifolium - (belembe sivestre)
Xanthosoma helleborifolium var. angustisectum
Xanthosoma helleborifolium f. variegatum
Xanthosoma helleborifolium f. viride
Xanthosoma helleborifolium var. weberbaueri
Xanthosoma herrerae
Xanthosoma hoffmannii - (american taro)
Xanthosoma hoffmannii var. wendlandii
Xanthosoma holtonianum
Xanthosoma hylaeae
Xanthosoma ianthinum
Xanthosoma jacquinii
Xanthosoma cherry
Xanthosoma latestigmatum
Xanthosoma lindenii
Xanthosoma longilobum
Xanthosoma lucens
Xanthosoma maculatum
Xanthosoma mafaffa
Xanthosoma mafaffa var. blandum
Xanthosoma mafaffa var. poeppigii
Xanthosoma mafaffa var. typicum
Xanthosoma mafaffoides
Xanthosoma mariae
Xanthosoma maroae
Xanthosoma maximiliani
Xanthosoma mendozae
Xanthosoma mexicanum
Xanthosoma mirabile
Xanthosoma monstruosum
Xanthosoma mucronatum
Xanthosoma narinoense
Xanthosoma nigrum
Xanthosoma nitidum
Xanthosoma obtusilobum
Xanthosoma orinocense
Xanthosoma panduriforme
Xanthosoma paradoxum
Xanthosoma pariense
Xanthosoma pedatum
Xanthosoma peltatum
Xanthosoma pentaphyllum
Xanthosoma peregrinum
Xanthosoma pilosum
Xanthosoma platylobum
Xanthosoma Plowmanii
Xanthosoma plumieri
Xanthosoma poeppigii
Xanthosoma poeppigii var. mafaffa
Xanthosoma pottii
Xanthosoma puberulum
Xanthosoma pubescens
Xanthosoma pubescens var. latesinuatum
Xanthosoma pulchrum
Xanthosoma purpuratum
Xanthosoma riedelianum
Xanthosoma riedelianum var. brancoanum
Xanthosoma junglechii
Xanthosoma riopalenquense
Xanthosoma riparium
Xanthosoma robustum - (capote)
Xanthosoma roseum
Xanthosoma sagittifolium - (arrowleaf elephant ear)
Xanthosoma saguasense
Xanthosoma seideliae
Xanthosoma stenospathum
Xanthosoma striapes
Xanthosoma striolatum
Xanthosoma subandinum
Xanthosoma sylvestr
Xanthosoma syngoniifolium
Xanthosoma taioba
Xanthosoma tarapotense
Xanthosoma trichophyllum
Xanthosoma trilobum
Xanthosoma ulei
Xanthosoma undipes - (tall elephant's ear)
Xanthosoma utili
Xanthosoma variegatum
Xanthosoma versicolor
Xanthosoma violaceum - (tiquisque)
Xanthosoma viviparum
Xanthosoma wallisii
Xanthosoma weeksii
Xanthosoma wendlandii
Xanthosoma xantharrhizon
Xanthosoma yucatanense
Related
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?12943
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthosoma