Caladium () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. They are often known by the common name elephant ear (which they share with the closely related genera Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma), heart of Jesus, and angel wings. There are over 1000 named cultivars of Caladium bicolor from the original South American plant.
The genus Caladium includes seven species that are native to South America and Central America, and naturalized in India, parts of Africa, and various tropical islands. They grow in open areas of the forest and on the banks of rivers and go dormant during the dry season. The wild plants grow to 15–35 inches (40–90 cm) tall, with leaves mostly 6-18 inches (15–45 cm) long and broad.
Name
From Malay Keladi, which refers to a few genera within the Araceae family (Alocasia, Caladium and Dieffenbachia). However, it may just specifically refer to the Colocasia genus.
Species
Many names have been proposed for species and varieties in the genus, but the vast majority of the names have either been transferred to other genera or regarded as synonyms of other names. The following are accepted.
Caladium amazonicum E.G.Gonç. – Pará state northern Brazil
Caladium andreanum Bogner - Colombia
Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent. - widespread from Costa Rica to northern Argentina; naturalized in India, Bangladesh, western and central Africa, and various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and in the Caribbean
Caladium clavatum Hett., Bogner & J.Boos - Napo region of Ecuador
Caladium coerulescens G.S.Bunting - Venezuela
Caladium cortesiae Croat & E.G.Gonç. – Colombia
Caladium humboldtii (Raf.) Schott - Guyana, Amazonas State of southern Venezuela, Amazonas State of western Brazil, Loreto region of eastern Peru
Caladium intermedium E.G.Gonç. – Tocantins state of northern Brazil
Caladium macrotites Schott - Colombia, Venezuela, northwestern Brazil
Caladium palaciosii Croat & L.P.Hannon – Ecuador and Peru
Caladium picturatum...
