Monocotyledon

Araceae -- The Aroid, Duckweed, Philodendron Family

Alocasia -- The elephant's-ear plant genus

General Information
	Distribution	A taxonomically complex genus of 80-100 species from Indo-Malesia to China, widely cultivated as ornamentals.
	Habit	Large herbs; stems above or below ground, decumbent to erect, thick.
	Leaves	Leaves petiolate; blade usually sagittate or hastate, rarely peltate.
	Flowers	Inflorescences axillary, these 2 to several together, much shorter than leaves, subtended by bracts at base; spathe markedly constricted in proximal portion to form a tube, opening only at anthesis, then with at least the base re-closing tightly. Flowers unisexual, naked; spadix shorter than spathe, pistillate portion somewhat shorter than fertile staminate portion, with a sterile staminate portion (appendix) in between, and a large terminal sterile appendage; staminate flowers with 3‒8 connate stamens forming a truncate synandria; pistillate flowers unilocular or sometimes 3‒4-locular at apex, stigma weakly 3-lobed, ovules few, basal.
	Fruit	Fruit a berry, 1-seeded to several seeded.
	Seeds	Seeds white to brownish, subglobose.
	Notes	Widely cultivated as ornamentals for their attractively patterned leaves. The name is derived from Colocasia, an arum, and, apparently, the Greek alocho, bedfellow or spouse, as a prefix, alluding to the close relationship between Colocasia and Alocasia.