Mana Uliuli

Other Names: Yellow
General Characteristics: Medium in height, erect, moderately stocky, maturing within 9 to 12 months; the most striking character is prolific branching, as many as ten branches often being produced.
Petiole: 70 to 95 cm. long, olive-green tinged with reddish-brown and pink, the latter pronounced near base, lilac-purple at apex, with a broad, light pink to whitish edge, white at base with lilac-pink for 1 to 2 cm. above.
Leaf blade: 35 to 45 cm. long, 20 to 30 cm. wide, 25 to 35 cm. from tip to base of sinus, vertical, firm-chartaceous, sagittate, dark green; piko yellowish; lobes acute with wide sinus.
Corm: Flesh yellow with light yellowish fibers; skin cream-colored, dark purple along leaf-scar rings.
Inflorescence: Produced rather profusely; peduncle light green flecked with reddish-brown; spathe small, delicate, narrow, 12 to 16 cm. long, the lower tubular portion 2 to 2.5 cm. long, light green, the upper portion tightly rolled, light yellow; spadix rather delicate, 6 to 9 cm. long, the sterile appendage 4 to 8 mm. long.
Origin, and derivation of name: Introduced from South Seas under the name "Yellow," which referred to the color of the corm flesh; it has since been classified as a Mana taro and given the descriptive name Uliuli because of the dark olive-green petioles.
Distribution: Limited; grown primarily under upland culture.
Use: Makes good poi of distinctly yellow color.
|