Arabi / Taro
Colocasia esculenta
Also known as Cocoyam, Wild Taro
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- June-January
Plant Details
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
- अरबी Arabi, अरुवी Aruwi, बंडा Banda, arum
- Nepali
- कर्कलो Karkalo, गाभा Gaabhaaa, पिँडालु Pindaalu
- Bengali
- বুনোকচু Banakochu, জংলিকচু Jongli Kochu, Alti kachu, Kachu
- Tamil
- சேம்பு chempu, நீர்ச்சேம்பு nir-c-cempu, பேசுலம் peculam, Sempu
- Telugu
- చామ chama, చేమ chema, Chamadumpa, Chamagadda
- Kannada
- ಕೆಸವು Kesavu, ಕೆಸ Kesa, ಕೇಸು Kesu, ಕೆಸವೆದಂತು
- Malayalam
- ചേമ്പ് Chemp, മാണം Manam, താള് tal, Chempakizhanna
- Marathi
- अलें Alem, आळू Alu, चेम्पू, रान आलू
- Sanskrit
- आलुक़ाम, आलूकी, आलूपम, कच्छी
- Sinhala
- කිරි අල
Arabi in India
Taro, known as अरबी Arabi (Hindi), சேம்பு chempu (Tamil), చామ chama (Telugu), ಕೆಸವು Kesavu (Kannada), ചേമ്പ് Chemp (Malayalam), अलें Alem (Marathi), is grown for its starchy underground corm and, in some regions, its leaves. Colocasia esculenta is cultivated across Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Assam, Uttarakhand, generally in moist or waterlogged conditions.
Uses
The corm (arbi) is boiled, fried or curried as a starchy vegetable, and in some regions the leaves are cooked into dishes like patra/patrode — always cooked thoroughly, since the raw plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat.
How to Identify Arabi
A herbaceous perennial grown from an underground corm, with large, distinctive heart- or shield-shaped leaves held upright on long stalks that attach near the centre of the leaf blade (peltate), rather than at the edge — the clearest way to tell it apart from similar-looking plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Taro called in different Indian languages?
- अरबी Arabi (Hindi); சேம்பு chempu (Tamil); చామ chama (Telugu); ಕೆಸವು Kesavu (Kannada); ചേമ്പ് Chemp (Malayalam); अलें Alem (Marathi); বুনোকচু Banakochu (Bengali); आलुक़ाम (Sanskrit).
- Why does taro make your mouth itch if undercooked?
- The raw plant contains needle-like calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and throat; thorough cooking breaks these down, which is why taro is never eaten raw.
- How can you tell taro leaves from similar-looking plants?
- Taro's leaf stalk attaches near the middle of the underside of the leaf (peltate), not at the leaf's edge — a quick way to distinguish it from look-alikes.
Araceae
Arum family
Arabi belongs to the Araceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Araceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Arabi or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Araceae
View all Araceae →Sources: GBIF — Colocasia esculenta (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Colocasia esculenta (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)