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Elephant Ear

Elephant Ear. Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Araceae Taro, Dasheen Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott Araceae. Biology. Elephant ear native to central America Taro native to Africa Both widely grown for food in several countries Introduced to U.S. as an ornamental

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Elephant Ear

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  1. Elephant Ear Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.)Araceae Taro, Dasheen Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott Araceae

  2. Biology • Elephant ear native to central America • Taro native to Africa • Both widely grown for food in several countries • Introduced to U.S. as an ornamental • Large, uniquely shaped, fleshy leaves and large tubers

  3. Distribution & Impacts • Found in central and south Florida • Both associated with swamps and along streams • Taro more wide spread, found along the shorelines of central Florida lakes • Displaces native, other desirable species • May cause problems with water flow

  4. Elephant Ear Distribution in Florida

  5. Identification

  6. Mature Plant • Both species are herbaceous perennials, arising from large corms (tubers) • Also form rhizomes – offshoots from the corms

  7. Leaves • Leaves arrow-shaped with long petioles and wavy margins • Taro – petiole attaches several inches from ‘V’ • Dark green, 4 feet tall • Elephant ear – petiole attaches at the ‘V’ • Light green, 9 feet tall

  8. Management Preventative Cultural Mechanical Biological Chemical

  9. Preventative • Remove existing plants, rouge plants from ditchbanks, removing tubers also • Use caution when disposing garden waste – could contain fragments

  10. Cultural • Alternative landscape plants to replace taro and/or elephant ear • Programs to educate homeowners about the problems associated with these plants and proper identification • Maintain good ground cover and mixture of plant species to reduce establishment

  11. Biological • There are no known biological control agents available for taro or elephant ear management in Florida or the southeastern U.S.

  12. Mechanical • Hand pull plants, small infestations • Mowing or cultivation, is very effective, but not a viable option in many areas • Both contain oxalic acid, causing irritation to skin – use caution when cutting and removing plants

  13. Chemical • Over-the-top applications of glyphosate as a 2-5% solution plus 0.25% surfactant • Followup treatment likely, especially on larger, dense populations

  14. Useful Links • Floridata Homepage: http://www.floridata.com/main_fr.cfm?state=Welcome&viewsrc=welcome.htm • University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html • The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group. Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm

  15. Useful Links • Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems: http://www.hear.org/pier/threats.htm • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Plants Database: http://plants.usda.gov

  16. Literature Cited Langeland, K.A. and K. Craddock Burks. 1998. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville. 165 pp

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