Xanthosoma Sagittifolium

(Ocumo, Ocumo blanco, Yautia, Tannia, Malanga blanca)

Occurrence

West Indies, Central and South America. Its origin are said to be from the North of South America, then expanded to Central America and the Caribbean.

Nutritional properties

The edible parts are young leaves and the tubers. The young leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach.

The tubers which have a high starch content (27% to 39% of the fresh weight) likewise serve as a food. Root must be roasted or cooked before consumption to eliminate toxins.

Medicinal uses

The sap of the leaf is used for fungal infections in the skin. A pulverization of the root is used for respiratory problems. The leaves are used as a cataplasm for skin problems.

It is used for wound healing.

"xanthosoma sagittifolium o yautia o malanga" by M. Martin Vicente is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0