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Tania and taro are alike. They belong to the same family, the Araceae.
But tania and taro are two different plants.
- Tania goes by the scientific name of Xanthosoma. It is grown chiefly in Cameroon.
- Taro (or cocoyam) goes by the scientific name of Colocasia. It is grown all over Africa.
Tania and taro are distinguished by the shape and arrangement of the leaves.
Some varieties of tania have an aerial stem. It may reach 1 metre in length in the adult plant.
The leaf blade of tania is divided by a notch which makes the leaf arrow- shaped.
The leaf-stalk is attached to the edge of the leaf at the middle of the notch.
The leaf is bigger than the taro leaf; it is more sheath- like, thicker, stiffer and more shiny. It is permeated with a sort of wax.
Tania (Xanthosoma) plant
Tania leaf
The leaf-stalks are long, stiff and thick. They are flattened at the part attached to the leaf. The leaf-stalk of tania is a direct continuation of the midrib.
As a rule, the underground stems and tubers are well developed. They weigh between 1 and 5 kilogrammes and are rich in starch.
Taro never has an aerial stem as is the case with some varieties of tania.
Taro leaves are a lighter green and less shiny than those of tania. They are smaller. The leaf blade is thin and flexible. The leaf-stalk is thin, flexible and has no sheath.
The leaf-stalk is not a continuation of the midrib, as with tania
Taro (Colocasia) leaf
Taro bulber
The taro leaf- stalk is not attached to the edge of the leaf, but near the centre of the leaf blade.
The underground stem varies a lot. It may be round or flat, branching or not branching.
As with tania, the underground stems of taro often produce secondary tubers, but they are smaller. Unlike what happens with tania, it is chiefly the bigger, central tuber that is used for food. It remains tender when ripe, at harvest time.
There are many varieties of taro, as there are of tania.
The tubers may be large or small, with flesh that is yellow, red or white, hard or soft, that becomes floury after cooking, or doughy.
- Climate
Tania and taro require- a warm, humid climate.
But tania suffers more from drought than tarot If you live in a region with not much rain, it is better to grow taro than tania.
- Soil
Tania and taro need well- loosened soil that is very cool and rich in humus.
Some varieties can even be planted in land that is often flooded.
In general, the same methods are used for both plants.
Tania and taro are usually propagated from small tubers or pieces of tuber.
Sometimes the suckers, or new shoots that appear some distance from the parent plant, are used.
With tania, pieces of the aerial stem can sometimes be used, or the main tuber if it has become too hard to eat.
The tubers, pieces of tuber or of aerial stem are cut into pieces 10 to 15 centimetres long; the leaf- stalks are cut at about 10 centimetres from the junction with the leaf.
Tania and taro may be planted by themselves. Or they may be planted with other crops in the same field.
For example, they can be grown in the shade of a plantation of plantains. They can also be grown under the dense foliage of big forest trees.
Because tania and taro have large leaves, they may be used as a cover crop when starting a new cocoa plantation.
Planting is done at the beginning of the rainy season in rather shallow holes.
When grown alone, the distance between the holes may be 60 centimetres in all directions, or else 60 centimetres by 80 centimetres.
When grown with other crops, for example, when tania and taro are used to shade young cocoa trees, the distance between the holes varies between 50 centimetres and 1 metre.
Tania and taro require very little care. One or two cultivations in the early stages of growth are all that is necessary before the harvest. Often the plants are lightly earthed up when these cultivations are carried out.
Depending on variety, tania and taro are between 6 and 14 months in the field.
The tubers are ripe and ready for harvest when the leaves turn yellow and the plant begins to wither.
The fully ripe tubers should be harvested in dry weather. If you harvest during the dry season, the tubers may be left in the earth for some time and will not spoil.
When the field is wet, the ripe tubers must be harvested quickly. They may sprout and will then be no good for human food.
Each tania or taro plant may yield several harvests during one crop period.
As a rule, the harvests should be organized as follows:
- For tania
The first harvest begins about 3 months after planting. Three months after this first harvest, you can take three or four additional harvests from each plant. After each of these additional harvests, wait 2 or 3 weeks before taking tubers again from the same plant.
- For taro
The first harvest begins 6 to 8 months after planting. After that, harvest again two or three times from the same plant at intervals of 2 or 3 weeks.
When harvesting dig out the soil right up to the plant, take the biggest tubers and detach them from the parent plant. Then fill in the hole. Let the young tubers develop before harvesting again.
The harvested tubers are cleaned and can be sold fresh.
But tania and taro tubers may be kept for some time, and eaten as and when needed.
To keep the tubers for some months after harvesting, you must prevent them from rotting.
To do that, put the tubers on dry ground, or on boards supported on posts, in a well- aired, dry, cool place, sheltered from the sun and rain.
The leaves of tania and taro are used in human food as vegetables.
They may also be given to animals as fodder.
With tania, the main underground stem is too hard to be eaten. Only the tubers are used for food.
With taro, the underground stems often bear tubers. The central tuber, which is the biggest and yet soft, is the one chiefly used for food.
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