Description | Iaraj (Cyrtosperma chamissonis - Araceae). This large, cultivated "hard" or "swamp" taro has been a very important starchy, staple food source. It reaches heights up to 4-6 m (15-20 ft) and produces huge green to yellowish-green, heart-shaped leaves with tips that point upward. Iaraj is an aroid "root crop" species probably native to Southeast Asia or wetern Melanesia. Early settlers brought it by canoe to many islands of the tropical Pacific, including the Marshall Islands, in prehistoric times. [Source: http://www.hawaii.edu/cpis/MI/plants/iaraj.html] | | |
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