What does alocasia mean?
Alocasia is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae, native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Australia. Often called elephant's ears because of their enormous, heart- or arrow-shaped leaves, these plants are prized for their bold, architectural foliage, which may be deep green, patterned with white veins, or tinged purple beneath. Although they occasionally flower with a typical arum-type spathe and spadix, they are cultivated almost entirely for their leaves, both as outdoor ornamentals in warm climates and as popular houseplants elsewhere. The genus is closely related to Colocasia, the true taro, and the two are frequently confused; a key difference is that alocasia leaves tend to point upward while colocasia leaves droop downward. Because many species are toxic if ingested, alocasias should be kept away from pets and small children.
nounA genus of tropical plants of the arum family (Araceae), native to Asia and Australia, grown for their large, strikingly veined foliage and commonly known as elephant's ears.
- The botanical genus Alocasia of tropical araceous plants with large ornamental leaves.
- Any individual plant belonging to this genus, especially one cultivated as a houseplant.
"The alocasia by the window unfurled a new leaf the size of a dinner plate."
"She added an alocasia to her collection for its dramatic, arrow-shaped leaves."
"In its native rainforest habitat, an alocasia can tower well above head height."
As a countable noun referring to individual plants, the standard plural adds -s. When speaking of the genus as a whole, the uninflected form 'alocasia' is used.
"Her sunroom was filled with alocasias of every size."
Its leaves can grow larger than an umbrella — which is exactly why some gardeners call it the elephant's ear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alocasia
Alocasia is a New Latin botanical genus name formalized in the nineteenth century when botanists split certain species off from the older genus Colocasia, to which it is closely related within the arum family. The name reflects that taxonomic relationship rather than a classical word, so it has no direct ancient Greek or Latin root in ordinary use. Its closest linguistic relative is therefore Colocasia itself, along with the common names derived from the plants, such as elephant's ear.
How alocasia is actually used
Used almost exclusively in botanical, horticultural, and houseplant contexts; it is a technical genus name rather than everyday vocabulary. In casual speech, growers more often say 'elephant's ear.'
Easily confused with alocasia
Colocasia is a closely related genus of similar elephant-ear plants whose leaves typically point downward, whereas alocasia leaves generally point upward, and only colocasia corms are edible when cooked.