| Alocasia macrorrhizos | |
|---|---|
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| alocasia macrorrhizos leaves | |
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| alocasia macrorrhizos blossom | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Alocasia |
| Species: | A. macrorrhizos |
| Binomial name | |
| Alocasia macrorrhizos | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
List
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Alocasia macrorrhizos is a species offlowering plant in thearum family (Araceae) that it is native torainforests ofMaritime Southeast Asia,New Guinea, andQueensland[1] and has long been cultivated in South Asia, thePhilippines, manyPacific islands, and elsewhere in the tropics. Common names includegiant taro,[3]giant alocasia,ʻape,biga,[4] andpia.[5] In Australia it is known as thecunjevoi[5] (a term which also refers to a marine animal).
The giant taro was originally domesticated in thePhilippines, but are known from wild specimens to earlyAustronesians inTaiwan. From the Philippines, they spread outwards to the rest ofMaritime Southeast Asia and eastward toOceania where it became one of the staple crops ofPacific Islanders.[6][7] They are one of the four main species ofaroids (taros) cultivated by Austronesians primarily as a source ofstarch, the others beingAmorphophallus paeoniifolius,Colocasia esculenta, andCyrtosperma merkusii, each with multiple cultivated varieties. Their leaves and stems are also edible if cooked thoroughly, though this is rarely done for giant taro as it contains higher amounts ofraphides which cause itching.[8][9]
The reconstructed word for giant taro inProto-Austronesian is*biRaq, which becameProto-Oceanic*piRaq. Moderncognates in Maritime Southeast Asia and Micronesia includeRukaivi'a orbi'a;Ifugaobila;Ilocano,Cebuano, andBikolbiga;Tiruraybira;Ngajubiha;Malagasyvia;Malay andAcehnesebirah;Mongondowbiga;Palauanbísə;Chamorropiga;Bimawia;Roti andTetunfia;Asiluluhila; andKowiaifira. In Oceania,cognates for it includeWuvulu andAuapia;Motu andꞋAreꞌarehira;Kilivila andFijianvia; andHawaiianpia. Note that in some cases, the cognates have shifted to mean other types of taro.[10][6]
Indigenous Australian names includedpitchu in the Burnett River (Queensland);cunjevoi (South Queensland);hakkin Rockhampton (Queensland);bargadga ornargan of the Cleveland Bay.[11] TheYugarabul word for the plant,bundal,[12] is also where the name of the suburbBoondall is derived from.
It is edible if cooked for a long time but its sap irritates the skin due to calcium oxalate crystals, orraphides which are needle like.[13] Plants harvested later will have more raphides.[14]Alocasia species are commonly found in marketplaces inSamoa andTonga and other parts of Polynesia. The varieties recognized inTahiti are theApe oa, haparu, maota, anduahea. The Hawaiian saying:ʻAi no i ka ʻape he maneʻo no ka nuku (The eater of ʻape will have an itchy mouth) means "there will be consequences for partaking of something bad".[15]
The giant heart-shaped leaves make impromptu umbrellas in tropical downpours.
Anthelme Thozet in 1866 documented the method of preparation: "The young bulbs, of a light rose colour inside, found growing on large old rhizomes, are scraped, divided into two parts, and put under hot ashes for about half an hour. When sufficiently baked, they are then pounded by hard strokes between two stones – a large one,Wallarie, and a small one,Kondola. All the pieces which do not look farinaceous, but watery when broken, are thrown away; the others, by strokes of theKondola, are united by twos or threes, and put into the fire again ; they are then taken out and pounded together in the form of a cake, which is again returned to the fire and carefully turned occasionally. This operation is repeated eight or ten times, and when thehakkin, which is now of a green-greyish colour, begins to harden, it is fit for use."[16]: 14