ABOUT 'COLOCASIA ESCULENTA' PLANT
Dregea volubilis
FAMILY:- ASCLEPIADACEAE
BOTANICAL NAME:- Dregea volubilis
VERNACULAR NAMES :
SINHALA : Kiri-anguna, Titta-anguna Kamal,
TAMIL : Kodippalai, Kurinja
DESCRIPTION :
A very large, twining shrub with long, glabrous branches
LEAVES:- Simple, opposite, 7.5-11.2 cm long, 3.5-6.5 cm broad. Petioles 1.5-3.5
FLOWERS:- Numerous, regular, bisexual, green or yellowish green, sweet scented, (period during March and April).
FRUITS:- Follicles 7.5-10 cm long, slightly tapering to a blunt point, cylindrical, shallowly grooved, glabrous and dull yellow (Jayaweera, 1981).
DISTRIBUTION:
Grows in Bengal, Assam, Deccan, Madras and from Concan southwards in India, Sri Lanka, Java and Philippine Islands. It is rather common in Sri Lanka up to about 1000 m altitude (Jayaweera, 1981).
EDIBLE PARTS : Tender leaves
FOOD USE: Tender leaves are eaten as a vegetable.
NUTRITIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC VALUE:
Moisture -85.7 g,
Energy - 45.0 Kcal,
Protein - 4.0 g, Fat -0.5 g ,
Carbohydrates -6.1 g,
Calcium - 397.0 mg,
Phosphorus - 83.0 mg,
Iron - 25.0 mg,
Vitamin A 2760.0 meg,
Thiamine 30.0 meg,
Riboflavin 300.0 meg,
Niacin - 1.2 mg,
Vitamin C - 99.0 mg (Weerakoon, 1993).
The plant and seeds contain an active principle. The roots and young stalks of this plant are considered to have emetic and expectorant properties. The leaves are used, ^ ground in to a paste, as an application on boils and abscesses (Jayaweera, 1981).
