A flora of Manila - Rainforestation

ARACEAE 133
Occasionally cultivated for its ornamental leaves. Not uncommon in
Luzon and probably occurs in other parts of the Philippines. New Guinea.
3. A. indica (Roxb.) Schott. Biga (Tag.); Badiang (Vis.); Elephant's
Ear.
A coarse erect plant, the trunk stout, up to 2 m in height. Leaves
very large, broadly ovate, the larger ones up to 1.5 m in length, margins
slightly undulate, apex acute or acuminate, base deeply cordate, not at all
peltate, the petioles long, very stout. Spathes peduncled, the tube 4 to 5
cm long, the blade yellowish to yellowish-green, up to 23 cm long and, when
spread, 9 cm wide, often slightly mottled with purple inside. Pistillate
part of the spadix 3 to 4 cm long, about 1.5 cm thick, contracted above,
the fertile part of the male inflorescence about 6 cm long, the appendage
15 cm in length. Berries red when mature, globose or ovoid, fleshy. (Fl.
Filip. pi. 177, A. montana.)
Commonly cultivated, occasionally also found in waste places, vacant
lots, etc., fl. all the year; common and widely distributed in the Philippines.
India to Malaya.
* Var. VARIEGATA Engl., differs from the species in having the leaves
strongly mottled with white or gray.
Occasionally cultivated for ornamental purposes.
4. A. zebrina C. Koch & Vietch.
Stem short or none, petioles equaling or longer than the leaves, prominently
striped or blotched with dark-green and white. Leaves broadly
ovate, base deeply cordate, not peltate, entire, 35 to 65 cm long, the apex
very shortly and sharply acuminate, the basal lobes oblong-ovate, 15 to 20
cm in length. Spathes long-peduncled, greenish, the tube 2.5 to 3.5 cm
long, the blade about 10 cm in length, longer than the white spadix.
Occasionally cultivated ; a species known only from Luzon.
5. A. heterophylla (Presl) Merr.
Rather slender plants from underground rhizomes, glabrous. Leaves
15 to 25 cm long, green, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, sharply and slenderly
acuminate, entire or only slightly undulate, the base deeply cordate, not
peltate, the basal lobes spreading or not, oblong to lanceolate, narrow,
obtuse, 6 to 10 cm long. Spathes slenderly peduncled, white, 6 to 7 cm
long, the limb 4 to 5 cm long, longer than the slender spadix, soon reflexed
and deciduous.
Occasionally cultivated. A widely distributed endemic species.
9. COLOCASIA Linnaeus
Coarse herbs from fleshy corms, with a short caudex, producing flowers
and leaves at the same time. Leaves ovate, peltate at the cordate base,
stoutly petioled. Spathe erect, peduncled, the tube thick, accrescent, per-
sistent, constricted at the mouth, the limb erect, elongated, deciduous.
Spadix shorter than the spathe, slender or stout, the male and female
flowers usually separated by interposed flat neuter ones; appendage cylindric,
subulate, or none. Ovaries ovoid, 1-celled; ovules many, orthotropous.
Berries small. (An ancient Greek name.)
Species 6 or 7, in tropical Asia to Polynesia, 1 in the Philippines.