Mankachu / Giant Taro
Alocasia macrorrhizos
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- July-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Alocasia macrorrhizos
- Genus
- Alocasia
- Family
- Araceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- In moist places close to water courses
- Habitat type
- Wetland
- Distribution
- Malesia to Australasia
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Basal
- Venation
- Variable
Typical of the Araceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Variable
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Variable
Typical of the Araceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- mankachu
- Bengali
- মানকচু
- Tamil
- Merukan, Merukan kizhangu, பெருஞ்சேம்பு
- Kannada
- ಬಾಲರಾಕ್ಷ Baalaraaksha, ಮರಸಣಿಗೆ Marasanige, ಮರಸಣಿ Marasani
- Malayalam
- ആനച്ചേമ്പ്
- Marathi
- kaasaalu, madi-alum
About Mankachu
Giant Taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos) is a herb belonging to the Araceae family (Arum family). Members of this family are generally characterised by alternate simple/compound leaves, spadix with spathe flower clusters, berry cluster fruit. It is typically found in in moist places close to water courses. It occurs across Malesia to Australasia. Flowering and fruiting are typically seen during July-November. The species is valued in traditional medicine.
Araceae
Arum family
Mankachu belongs to the Araceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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