Colocasia esculenta

Stem is underground,f orming storage stems (corms) that are usually up to 30 cm long and about 15 cmin diameter (up to 4 kg), cylindrical or spherical, marked by a number of rings, usually brown, with lateral buds giving rise to cormels, suckers or stolons. Leaves are arranged spirally but in a rosette, simple, peltate. Petiole is up to 1 m long, with distinct sheath. Blade is entire, cordate, up to 85 cm× 60 cm, with rounded lobes at base, thick, glabrous, and with 3 main veins. Inflorescence is a spadix tipped by a sterile appendage, surrounded by a spathe and supported by a peduncle much shorter than petiole. Flowers are unisexual, small, without perianth. Male flowers are in the upper part of spadix, with stamens entirely fused. Female flowers are at the base of the spadix, with superior ovary and almost sessile stigma. Male and female flowers are separated by a band of sterile flowers. Fruit is a many-seeded berry, densely packed and forming a fruiting head. Seeds are ovoid to ellipsoid, less than 2 mm long, with copious endosperm.