Tsurunoko
Other Names: Araimo
General Characteristics: Short, spreading, moderately stocky, often maturing within 6 months, producing as many as 40 oha, mostly dormant; distinguished by light green petioles and divergent petiole sinus.
Petiole: 55 to 80 cm. long, light green with slight light brown flecking near base, white to greenish-white at base, reddish-purple at apex, with inconspicuous reddish edge; sinus widely divergent.
Leaf blade: 35 to 50 cm. long, 25 to 40 cm. wide, 30 to 45 cm. from tip to base of sinus, narrowly ovate, firm-chartaceous, light green with bluish cast; margins finely undulate, the marginal veins often purplish; piko yellowish to light purple; lobes obtuse to slightly acute with shallow, wide sinus.
Corm: Flesh white with yellowish fibers; skin white; cormels about 3 to 5 cm. in diameter.
Origin, and derivation of name: Probably native of Japan; Tsurunoko refers to the prolific production of oha.
Distribution: Most important Japanese variety in Hawaii, grown throughout the islands, almost exclusively under upland culture by Japanese gardeners, usually under irrigation alongside other vegetable crops.
Use: Mainly as table taro; to a certain extent for taro sprouts.
|
