Xanthosoma sagittifolium

Xanthosoma sagittifolium, or tannia, is a tropical flowering plant from the family Araceae. It produces an edible, starchy corm. X. sagittifolium is native to tropical America where it has been first cultivated. Around the 19th century, the plant spread to Southeast Asia and Africa and has been cultivated there ever since. X. sagittifolium is often confused with the related plant Colocasia esculenta (taro), which is similar both in appearance and its uses. Both plants are often collectively named 'cocoyam'. Tannia is among the world’s most important tuber crops and feeds 400 million people worldwide. There are multiple varieties, the two most common being the red flesh and the white flesh variety. They were selectively bred to improve pest and disease resistance, to shorten the time it takes to reach maturity and to improve the cooking quality.

Description

A herb up to 2 m tall. It has a short stem. At the top of the stem it produces large leaves. A corm is produced at the base of the plant. It produces about 10 cormels on the underground corm. These are about 15-25 cm long and flask shaped. The get wider towards the tip. Leaves are large and the stalk joins to the edge of the leaf. The leaves stand erect on stout petioles. There is a vein around the edge of the leaf. The leaf stalks can be 1 m long. The leaf blade is oval and 50-75 cm long. The leaf has triangular lobes at the bottom. The flower is produced below the leaves. The large bract around the flower is pale green and about 20 cm long. The bases of this overlap. The closely arranged spike of flowers is about 15 cm long. The smaller female section is at the bottom and the male section is larger and towards the top. There is a variety with blue on the stalks and leaves that was called Xanthosoma violaceum. X. mafaffa. The leaves are broad and spearhead shape. They are 60-130 cm long. There is a gap in the leaf blade on either side where the stalk joins which helps distinguish it from Xanthosoma sagittifolium. The edges of the leaves are wavy and they can have bluish or white veins. The flowers are of one sex. The spadix is taller than the spathe. The spathe is white and a vase shape. It is constricted below. It is 25 cm tall.

Edible Uses

Tannia is a versatile crop with both its corm and leaves suitable for human consumption. The corms can be categorized into smaller secondary corms and main corms. Secondary corms are primarily used in various culinary applications, in similar ways as potatoes. They can be boiled, fried, roasted, steamed, baked, or ground into flour. The leaves of the tannia plant find common culinary use as a leafy green, similar to spinach. In contrast, primary corms are typically designated for animal feed rather than human consumption because of the higher amount of oxalates. In Bolivia, it is called walusa, in Colombia bore, in Costa Rica tiquizque or macal, in Cuba malanga, in Mexico mafafa, in Nicaragua quequisque, in Panama otoe, in Dominican cuisine is called yautía, yautía morada, and yautía coco and ocumo in Venezuela. In Brazil, the leaves are sold as taioba. The tuber (called nampi or malanga) is also used in the cuisine of these countries. The plant is often interplanted within reforestation areas to control weeds and provide shade during the early stages of growth. In Puerto Rican cuisine and Dominican cuisine, the plant and its corm are called yautía. In Dominican Republic as well as in Puerto Rican pasteles en hoja, yautía is ground with squash, potato, green bananas and plantains into a dough-like fluid paste containing pork and ham, and boiled in a banana leaf or paper wrapper. The yautía corm is used in stews, soups, or simply served boiled much like a potato. It is used in local dishes such as guanime, alcapurrias, sancocho, and mondongo. In alcapurrias, it is also ground with green bananas and made into fried croquettes containing picadillo or seafood. Yautía majada is also prepared and consumed when mashed in some instances. Yautía puree is usually served with fish or shellfish cooked in coconut milk. In Suriname and the Netherlands, the plant is called tayer. The shredded root is baked with chicken, fruit juices, salted meat, and spices in the popular Surinamese dish, pom. Eaten over rice or on bread, pom is commonly eaten in Suriname at family gatherings and on special occasions, and is also popular throughout the Netherlands. In Surinamese cuisine the leaves are also often baked with a Maggi-cube (chicken boullion cube) and eaten alongside rice and chicken or salted beef.

Traditional Uses

Cormels are eaten roasted or boiled. Main corms are often fed to pigs. Young leaves can be eaten after cooking. The leaf stalks are cooked as a vegetable and also used in chutney.

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals. This substance is toxic fresh and, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if hundreds of small needles are digging in to them. However, calcium oxalate is easily broken down either by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it and, in either of these states, it is safe to eat the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It suits tropical rainforest regions. It grows well in hot, humid tropical areas. It can stand high rainfall. It can tolerate light shade. It does well in regions with an annual average temperature of 26°C. It grows from sea level up to about 2000 m. Soils need to be well drained but should be moist. It needs a well distributed rainfall of 1,400-2,100 mm during the growing season. It does not do well in atoll soils. The best pH if 5.5-6.8.

Where It Grows

Africa, Amazon, American Samoa, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bougainville, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America*, China, Chuuk, Colombia, Congo DR, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, FSM, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Grenadines, Guam, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kiribati, Kosrae, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South America, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, Yap, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Xanthosoma taro is normally planted by using the top piece of the main central corm or stem. Pieces weighing 1.5 kg are often used. It can also be grown by using the small side corms which may weigh 0.3 kg; or pieces of the corm can be used as long as they have some buds on them. These are often presprouted before planting. To multiply large amounts of planting material and still achieve acceptable yields, the latter method of using sections of the main corm works well. In crop growth, an axillary bud is produced in the axil of each leaf but only some of these develop into cormels. Often 10 or more cormels develop per plant into cormels 15-25 cm long. The crop duration is about 9 months although crops are often left for 12 months before harvesting. Plants are often planted to make the maximum benefit of natural rainfall. It has been recorded that plants increase in total dry matter production for 6 months then the percentage of dry matter in corm and cormels continues to increase while overall dry matter reduces. This effect may be due to lower rainfall near maturity. They can be planted at any time of the year but in dry areas the middle of the dry season should be avoided. Plants are spaced at varying distances but there is often about 0.9m x 1.5m between plants. A closer spacing of 0.5 m x 0.6 m producing a plant density of 36,800 plants per hectare has given high yields, but variations with rainfall regime and other growth conditions undoubetdly alter this. Closer spacing increases planting requirements but reduces weeding requirements. Soil compaction reduces yields drastically. It reduces plant size as well as the shape and number of cormels. Therefore either naturally lose soils from forest fallow or well cultivated soils are needed. The free water table must be at least 45cm below the soil surface for satisfactory yields. Xanthosoma taro grows better in good soils especially ones with plenty of nitrogen. But is can be grown in relatively poor soils and still give a satisfactory amount of food. It is best suited to alluvial soils with a well distributed rainfall. It is tolerant of shade and is therefore used in intercropping under cacao and coconuts. In such conditions yields are reduced but still satisfactory. Plants deficient in nitrogen give stunted growth, small pale green leaves with short leaf stalks. Potassium produces dead edges around the margin of the leaf. Magnesium gives a bright orange colour between the veins. Sometimes a crop of corms can be harvested after 7 or 8 months but often plants take up to one year to grow a good crop. Where plants are on hillsides the corms are often harvested without actually digging out the whole plant. The soil is carefully dug away from the plant and the small corms are broken off the parent plant. The main stem is then covered to produce a new crop. Weed control is important and it is possible to use herbicides in this regard. The corms will store reasonably well under dry cool well ventilated conditions. The corms will also remain in good condition if they are left growing in the ground and just harvested when needed.

Propagation

Seed - rarely produced in cultivation. Division of the smaller corms that are produced on the side of the main corm.

Other Uses

The plant is used as a nurse-crop for cacao.

Production

Harvesting occurs after about 9 months. Cormels can be removed without moving the mother plant. Corms can be stored for a few weeks. They can be stored for 8 weeks at 7°C with a relative humidity of 80%.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Of considerable importance in many coastal and mid altitude areas of Papua New Guinea especially in wetter areas. A major root crop in the humid tropics.

Notes

There are 57 Xanthosoma species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Abalong, Aloklok, Anaji, 'Apea man pofo, Babua, Badoo, Banai, Batang talas hitam, Bentool, Blue taro, Boli ma, Bore, Buah kapas, Chou, Cocoyam leaves, Cocoyam, Dalo, Dalo ni tana, Dark-leaf malanga, Djakatawa, Dokonitania, Dolsialnek, Dolsielngeh, Dudh kachu, Dudh kochu, Fe, Gabing cebu, Gwaza, Huaylusa, Keladi hitam, Kewami, Kimpool, Kimpul hitam, Lamba, Langa, Lindjik, Ma, Macabo, Macal, Maduma, Mafafa, Mafaffa, Malanga, Mangareto, Mankani, Mbolin-ma, Me, Moa sangaru, Moulovikochu, Mukhikachu, New cocoyam, Ocumo, Palchembu, Quequeque, Quiscamote, Rascadera, Ruumabe, Sawahn awi, Sewah seipan, Sujikachu, Ta, Tabul, Taioba, Tajer, Talas belitung, Tales lindjik, Talo papalagi, Tannia, Tanyove, Tayo tyo, Tayobe, Tayonne, Tiquisque, Toa kachu, Tunya, Uncucha, Wahu, White malanga, Wono, Xeca, Yafane, Yautia, Yautia amarilla, Yellow malanga, Yopho, Yugwa

References (121)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 27 (As Xanthosoma mafaffa)
• Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science. (As Xanthosoma mafaffa)
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 693 (Also as Xanthosoma nigrum)
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 224 (As Xanthosoma violaceum)
• Ara, R. I. T., 2015, Leafy Vegetables in Bangladesh. Photon eBooks. p 30 (As Xanthosoma atrovirens)

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