This
is a picture of kalo. The leaves are heart-shaped
and one kalo plant has many stems.
Kalo
Kalo, or Taro, is one of the most prized starch
foods in Hawai‘i. The Polynesians had introduced
it. Kalo has heart shaped leaves that a green
in color. The leaves
can
also have white or purple strips or dots on the face of
the leaf. Where the leaf is connected to the stem is known
as the piko. The long green stem connects to an
underground stem also know as a corm. The flesh of the
corm can vary
in color from white to red. The corm is taken of the kalo and
the stem is planted back for another growth. The corm is
cleaned and pounded by a poi pounder. The shape
of the
poi pounder is like a dumbbell made out of rock.
Resulting from the pounding is the food poi. Not
only was the kalo used for food but the Ancient
Hawaiians also used it for
La‘au Lapa‘au (natural medicines).
Kalo
is able to grow closely packed. As the seasons
go by, they grow in size. Some can grow up to
impressive heights. This is the dry-land variety.
Photo
taken by a parent (Michelle Naeole).
The
heart-shapped leaves are water-proof. When water
is applied, the droplets just
slide right off.This is the dry-land variety as
well.
Photo taken by a parent (Michelle Naeole).
Bibliography: Life in Early Hawai‘i; The Ahupua‘a
the 3rd edition. Kamehameha Schools Press. Honolulu, Hawaii, 1994.
Krauss, Beatrice
H. Plants in Hawaiian Culture. Honolulu: University of
Hawaii Press, 1993.
