Elephant foot yam

Elephant foot is grown for the corms which are eaten as a vegetable.

This page provides some basic information and facts about the Elephant foot together with some Elephant foot photos.

Basic information on Elephant foot yam

Scientific name:	Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Synonym:	Amorphophallus campanulatus

Family:	Araceae
Order:	Alismatales

English:	Elephant foot Elephant foot yam Elephant foot aroid Elephant yam Elephant bread Suran Sweet yam
Dutch:	Olifantenyam
Other:	Olkachu

Origin:	Elephant yam probably originates from India or Sri Lanka.
Distribution:	Elephant yam is grown in Bangladesh, India, South-East Asia and in Africa.

Annual, biennial, or perennial:	Elephant foot is a perennial herb. It usually takes 3 to 4 years before the corms are harvested.
Plant:	Elephant foot yam is a tropical tuber crop, grown for its round corm. The stems can be 1 to 2 meters tall.
Leaves:	Leaves (usually one or two on a stem) are about 50 cm long and consist of several oval leaflets.
Tubers:	Round corms are usually 3 to 9 kilo, depending on the number of seasons that the crop was grown before harvest. They can even reach 25 kg.
Climate and weather:	Elephant yam grows in the tropics and needs a high temperature and high humidity.
Height:	1 to 2 meters.
Propagation:	For the propagation of elephant foot yam, small corms (cormels) or buds are used. These are produced below ground level at the base of the stem.
Insect pests:	?
Diseases:	A common disease is foot rot (Rhizoctonia solani)
Harvesting:	When the leaves begin to wither and die the corms can be dug up by hand.
Uses:	The corm of Elephant foot is eaten as a vegetable, usually boiled or baked. Elephant yam is also sometimes grown for its medicinal properties.