Leo
General Characteristics: Medium in height, moderately spreading, maturing within 9 to 12 months, producing from 2 to 5 oha; distinguished by somewhat crinkled leaf blades, whitish petiole bases, and yellowish-green blotches adjacent to narrow, reddish petiole edges.
Petiole: 65 to 80 cm. long, dark green with dark brown flecked shading on lower portion, yellowish at apex, white at base, a narrow reddish edge usually with adjacent yellowish-green blotches, especially near base.
Leaf blade: 40 to 50 cm. long, 35 to 40 cm. wide, 30 to 40 cm. from tip to base of sinus, ovate, slightly crinkled, dark green; piko light green to yellowish; veins conspicuous; lobes obtuse to slightly acute with wide sinus.
Corm: Flesh white with yellowish fibers; skin cream-colored.
Inflorescence: Peduncle green; spathe 15 to 17 cm. long, the lower tubular portion 2.5 to 3 cm. long, green, the upper portion yellow; spadix 6 to 7 cm. long, the sterile appendage 8 to 11 mm. long.
Origin, and derivation of name: Native variety; leo, meaning "influence arising from station, character, or reputation," indicates that this may have been an important variety in the old days.
Distribution: Little is grown except for some plantings in Puna, Hawaii, usually under upland culture.
Use: Primarily as table taro.
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