Alocasia

Alocasia.

Elephant ears are in Family Araceae > Subfamily Aroideae > Tribe Colocasieae.
There are about 70 species of plants commonly known elephant ears.

Height varies from 50 cm up to 2 m high and many are grown as ornamentals.

The evergreen leaves are heart or arrowhead shaped (cordate to sagittate).
They can be from 20 cm up to 1 m long on stalks up to nearly 1 m long.
They can have large veins in contrasting colours, or purple or red markings.

The typical arum-like flowers are rarely seen and often hidden by the leaves.
The spathe is white and the spadix green.
The fruit are red.

There are numerous hybrids bred for their different leaf colours and colourful markings.

J.F.

Species