Eddoes at tesco

[simon]

I think there may be quite a lot of variation with eddoes due to the large number cultivars of colocasia esculenta. There are probably many different sources of the tubers from around the world.

In the photo below, from my garden you can see eddoe and arbi side by side. Arbi is on the left under the ventricosum and eddoe under the maurellii.



I think my arbi looks more like Dave's eddoe. My eddoe leaves are considerably darker and note the curvature in the leaves .

I think I might get eddoes from a variety of sources next year and see how they compare.

[Dave Brown]

Our best performer last (non) summer was the Colocasia we bought from Wilkos, so as AndyC says make a dash for it as soon as it comes out. They came out 3rd week of December last year

Mark do you mean a Colocasia. As my Mammoth was from Wilko's sold as an Alocasia

Simon, My eddoes had very cupped dark green leaves, but as they got larger they became lighter and flatter.

I think this is another problem with identification. Just about all of my Colocasia cultivars change leaf shape with size and age.

[simon]

Interesting Dave. My eddoes didn't get much bigger than that but the arbi just kept on growing and they were never cupped, right from the off.

[MarkD]

Hi Dave, The packaging says 'Elephant's Ears' but I can't remember if it said Colocasia or Alocasia. Wilko's seem to sell only type anyway so it should be the same as yours


I'm actually quite confused myself with all these names for aroid tubers you can buy in the asian grocers I only knew of Taro before but having a proper browse on the root crops, other names came up (Eddoes,Dasheen,Cocos,White Yam,Arbi, etc). I remember there was a link before on these common names and their proper latin names but I didn't save it.

I do know which have the edible leaves and stems though based on the appearance of the tuber

[simon]

Mark, I think eddoe, arbi and dashine are all colocasia esculenta. Cocos or coco yams are xanthosoma something and white yam is the vine one.

[MarkD]

Cheers Simon, that sheds some light. Nice photo btw!

On the topic of Dasheen, I've given a couple of big-ish tubers of Dasheen at the Wisley meet(roughly 6-7'' long, 3-4'' fat).I've tried the same sized tubers last spring and they came up the same size as the Wilko's Mammoth.

But that's actually quite small compared to the ones left in the shop. They had whoppers, about the size of a human head weighing 6-7 kilos each

Now, is the natural assumption of bigger tuber=bigger plant right on this case??

[Dave Brown]

MarkD,

I'm not convinced that bigger corm is bigger plant. In their natural life cycle they grow rapidly and once fully grown produce flowers.If the Corm goes dormant just before flowering commences, you may have a huge corm, that does not want to produce many leaves.

[MarkD]

Cheers Dave!

I did wonder as most of the Colocasias I've dug up last month only had roots and no tubers at all.

I best leave those whopper tubers to those who'd actually eat them rather than grow them

[Mark]

Now, is the natural assumption of bigger tuber=bigger plant right on this case??

Helen thought that and paid a fortune for a humungous one and all she got was lots of small off shoots I belive

[Mick C]

This chap seems to have an interest

http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm

[Dave Brown]

This chap seems to have an interest

http://www.kallus.com/aroids/ediblecommon.htm

It's the missing link Someone was asking about this a couple of days ago.

[Mick C]

I must have missed that Dave, no pun intended.

[simon]

Well done Mick. I'll bookmark it this time .

Maybe one for the list of handy sites Dave .