Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Taro - Colocasia esculenta   (L.) Schott
Members of Araceae:
Only member of Colocasia in NC.
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Section 5 » Order Arales » Family Araceae
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Author(L.) Schott
DistributionWell established at Lake Waccamaw (Columbus County), and established along the Pee Dee River at Morrow Mountain State Park (Stanly County), as photographed by Jim Petranka in 2022.

Native of the tropics; in N.A. scattered locations in southern states.
AbundanceFrequent at this one site (Lake Waccamaw), and a stand occurs along a river/lake shoreline (Morrow Mountain State Park). Not known in the state elsewhere as an escape.
HabitatShoreline and adjacent marshy ditches.
Phenology
IdentificationThe leaves typically are large, 1-2 feet long or more, broadly elliptical and with arrow-like backward pointing basal lobes -- resembling leaves of Green Arrow-arum (Peltandra virginica) but more wavy-edged and with strongly parallel veins; some leaves may have purple blotches.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGU
State Status
US Status
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USACE-empFACW link
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B.A. SorrieRoadside cultivation slope, St. Vincent Island, West Indies. 2016. Photo_non_NCPhoto_non_NC