Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott

otoy, chonque, macabo, malangay, arrowleaf elephant's ear,arrowleaf, elephant ear

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Liliopsida (= Monocotyledoneae)

Order
Arales

Family
Araceae

Genus
Xanthosoma

Species
sagittifolium

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Xanthosoma violaceum

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1965

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: No data

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Chavez, J. (1993) Diagnostico de la Agricultura y la Ganader¡a en la Provincia de Galapagos. Tesis.
  • Clavijo, P. Valdebenito, H. & Hurtado, F. (1991) Plantas introducidas en las areas urbanas de las islas Galapagos. Typescript reports in files of Botany Dept.
  • Flores, E. (1985) Censo de Plantas Introducidas desde el Canal de Itabaca hasta Puerto Ayora. Tesis de Ingeniero Forestal, Univ. Técnica Luis Vargas Torres, Esmeraldas: 1-132.
  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
  • Lundh, J.P. (1995) Some additional information and comments on the Annotated Check list of Vascular Plants of the Galapagos Islands by Lawesson, Adsersen and Bentley. Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished.
  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
  • Wiggins, I.L. Porter, D.M. (1971) Flora of the Galapagos Islands Standford University Press, Stanford.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Xanthosoma sagittifolium", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=867. Accessed 31 October 2026.