Traditional Usages of Taro (Colocasia spp.) by Ethnic Communities in Borneo

Borneo has a a wealth of various flora, including the Aroids (Araceae). Taro is one of the Aroids that cultivated and used as food crop since a long time ago by the people in Borneo. This study aimed to determine the utilization of Taros traditionally by several ethnic communities in Borneo. The research used Survey Explorative Method with Direct Interview Technique in the field. Taro samples were taken from various habitats of Banjar, Dayak, Kutai, Malay, Bugis, Toraja and China ethnic. The results showed that Taro species widely used are : Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta and var. antiquorum, Colocasia affinis and wild of Colocasia esculenta. C. esculenta var. esculenta and var. antiquorum is used as subsistence food crop and vegetables. Besides, it is used as medicine such as high blood pressure lowering and for consumption of diabetics. Parts of the plants consumed include leaves, petiole, corm and stolon. C. affinis is used as ornamental plants of the home garden, while wild C. esculenta is used as animal fodder. Taro in Borneo have a considerable variation of traditional cultivars and vernacular names. Fifty eight traditional cultivars from 5 different habitat to be used by some ethnics.

food security and food crop diversification program, Taro is definitely one of the plants to be reckoned with (Prana & Kuswara, 2002).The utilization of Taros is sometimes also closely related to the culture of the population of a region, so this plant is very important for communities life (Walujo, 2011).As stated by Iskandar & Iskandar (2017), it has strong relation between sociocultural aspects, the local community and managing and maintaining biodiversity.In the case of a crop like Taro, how farmers use and manage diversity is important for the conservation of its genetic resources.Based on this, it is necessary to do a research to find out the traditional utilization of Taros by some ethnic societies in Borneo.

METHODS
The study was conducted from February 2016 to June 2016.Taro samples were taken from various habitats of Banjar, Dayak, Kutai, Malay, Bugis, Toraja and Chinese ethnic (Figure 1).Those areas include province of North, East, South, Middle and West Borneo.The research used Explorative Survey Method with Direct Interview Technique in field (Walujo, 2004).This method was used to inventory the known biodiversity of the community where the research was conducted.The interviews were conducted involving 75 respondents.The respondence was consisting of 20 peoples of Banjar, 24 peoples of Dayak, 6 peoples of Kutai, 2 peoples of Bugis, 2 peoples of Toraja, 2 peoples of Java, 15 peoples of Malay, 2 peoples of Madura, and 2 Chinese peoples.Two of the respondents were farmers of Taro and 73 were local communities.
Field notes were made along the way con-

INTRODUCTION
Borneo or Kalimantan is one of the largest archipelagos in the Asia Pacific region.Borneo Island is divided into 3 countries namely Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.The largest part of the Island is belongs to Indonesia and is commonly known as Kalimantan (Galapphatie et al., 2014).Borneo Island is inhabited by three native ethnic communities: Dayak, Kutai and Banjar.These people have used resources sustainably based on their traditions and knowledge.In addition, Borneo also has ethnic immigrant people such as Bugis, Toraja, Malay and other ethnicities.
The Island of Borneo has the richest Aroids in the world (Boyce et al., 2010).One of the Aroid (Araceae) groups that is useful as an important food crops of the world is Taro.Colocasia spp especially Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott is one of the many widely cultivated Taros in the tropics and sub tropics (Nath et al., 2015 ;Naidoo et al., 2015).In Southeast Asia, Taro was previously a plant widely grown in areas that are currently dominated by rice (Blench, 2012).According to Rao et al., (2010) Southeast Asia region is considered as a place of Taro domestication for the first time.
The highest Taro diversity in the world is presumably found in Indonesia (Lebot & Aradhya, 1991 ;Kreike et al., 2004 ;Prana, 2007) because Indonesia is one of the areas of Taro origin.This diversity can be seen in areas where Taro is widely cultivated as in Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Borneo (Prana & Kuswara, 2002).However, the large diversity of Taro has not been supported by the availability of complete information about the utilization by the local community.
There are only few recorded ways of planting and utilizing Taros.Information about the genetic diversity of Taros and their use by farmers in an area is very important to be preserved and necessary for the management of genetic diversity of Taros (Jianchu et al., 2001).According to Liu et al., (2014) the traditional knowledge about Aroid plant groups is getting less.The documentation on traditional knowledge and use of Aroid plants including Taro is a very important value.
Knowledge of the plant group of Aroid (Araceae) is still needed by community.Although the cultivation of C. esculenta has been going on for more than 1700 years, the use of this plant as medicine has not been widely known and limited to some areas (Liu et al., 2014).In Borneo, although traditional Taro cultivation has existed for a long time, the information about Taro utilization is still very limited.In an effort to realize taining habitat, location using GPS (Global Positioning Satellite), vernacular names, species or traditional cultivar and uses of Taro as well as picture for documentation.Note of the locations used GPS conducted in places where there was a Taro population.All data such as latitude, longitude and altitude were recorded with Garmin 62 Sc.Data analysis was done descriptively based on the field interview result with tables and pictures.Quantitative analysis was done by calculating the percentage of utilization of Taro plant parts.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The spreading of Taro in Borneo is quite wide and is found in most of the province in Borneo.Taros grow in swamp areas, the margin of paddy fields and ditches, home garden, orchard, the edges of the highways and other natural habitats.The condition of Borneo Island located in the tropics allows Taros to grow and develop well.According to Lebot & Legendre (2015) Taros can grow well throughout the wet tropics.
Taros belong to a group of tuber crops that have been known and cultivated for a long time by people living in Borneo.According to MacKinnon (2000) the people of Borneo have known Taro plants since they discovered and could processed iron ore.With tools made from ore, the forest has become easier to be opened, so the people have been able to grow rice and Taros on the land.Tuber cultivation along with the cultivation of fruit crops is considered the oldest form of cultivated plant in Borneo.
Based on the field interviews both men or women have same knowledge about Taro plants.The respondents consisted of 39 woman, 36 man and generally aged 30-60 years.There were housewife, employees, private and farmers.
The people of Kalimantan consume Taro as a subsistence food crops, vegetable crops, medicine or used for other purposes.In Indonesia the presence and expansion of cultivated and food crops such as maize and tubers have been pushing the existence of Taros as a food crop in some areas.This causes Taros currently only to be a subsistence food crop.Chotimah et al., (2011) has stated that a Taro in Borneo is one of indigenous vegetable crops.Indigenous vegetables are often referred to as local vegetables, which are native vegetables of the region and have long adapted and are known by people in a particular location.In many countries according to Matthews et al., (2012) Taro leaves are used as one of the vegetables consumed by the community.
Taro species that widely used in Borneo are Colocasia esculenta both variety of esculenta and antiquorum.C.esculenta var.esculenta is the most widely found.According to Purseglove (1972) and Prana (2007) C. esculenta var.esculenta is a variety of Taros that commonly found in Indonesia and tropical region, while var.antiquorum is a Taro derived and cultivated in temprate climates such as China and Japan.The tropical cultivars produce large central corms with relatively few side corms, and the temperate cultivars produce many small side corms from a small central corm.The variation of the varieties owned by each type of plants is a priceless source of germplasm for the benefits of development of local food resources and for the development of science (Waluyo, 2011).Taros in Borneo have a large number of traditional cultivars and vernacular names.In this research fifty eight cultivars from 5 different habitat are used to be by some ethnics (Table 1).According to Lebot et al., (2004) in the worldwide there are thousands of Taro cultivars growing from C. esculenta var.esculenta and var.antiquorum.The diversity of Taro cultivars can be seen based on variations of morphological characters such as corms, stolons, leaves, and flowers.
In some areas such as in Hulu Sungai Utara and Kapuas Region species of Colocasia affinis is found.This Taro is used as ornamental plant in home garden by the Banjar and Dayak ethnic in the provinces of South Borneo and Central Borneo (Figure 2a).According to Matthews & Medhi (2014) C. affinis is the result of hybridization of other Taro species.The characteristics of this Taro is a black spot on leaf surface.The wild of Colocasia esculenta have been found in Samarinda and Muara Badak (East Borneo), Landak and Sanggau regencies (West Borneo).The parts used are leaves and petioles as animal fodder especially pigs by Toraja and Dayak ethnic (Figure 2b).It is processed by boiling first before mixed with other feed ingredients.The purpose of the boiling process is to reduce the acridity.As state by Bradbury & Nixon (1998) the edible aroids and other genera of Araceae contain needle-like calcium oxalate raphides which have been implicated as a cause of acridity.
Wild Taros are also consumed by the community but with a special treatment to relieve acridity.According to Matthews (2010) wild Taros in Asia and the Pacific have relatively little carbohydrate content, long stolons and acrid.In Indonesia wild Taros have long and many stolon characteristics, relatively small corm and high flowering ability (Prana & Kuswara, 2002).According to Matthews et al., (1992) ; Jianchu et al., (2001) Matthews & Naing (2005) ; the use of wild Utilization of Taros by the Banjar ethnic Taro among the Banjar ethnic is known by the name of Keladi.Some traditional cultivars of Taro utilized : Keladi Gunung, Keladi Sulur, Keladi Lais, Keladi Akar, Keladi Hitam, and Keladi Telur.The corm of Keladi Gunung, Keladi Lais and Keladi Akar are consumed as vegetables that cooked as Sayur Asam and Sayur Santan.Besides, Keladi sulur consumed for the stolon that spread for vegetable food "oseng sulur" while the corms are not eaten because rather itchty (Figure 3a and 3b).A bunch of Keladi Sulur is sold five thousands rupiah in traditional markets known as the night market.This market activity usually occurs at night (Figure 4d).According to Matthews (2010) stolon, in China and Southeast Asia, is generally consumed but only used on a small scale.Keladi Gunung, Lais, Sulur and Akar are cultivated by people in shaded orchard and swamp.
The cultivar of Keladi Gunung is sometimes referred to as "red Taro" because it has pink tuber flesh by Banjar ethnic in Central Borneo.It is usually processed into "sayur asam" mixed with other vegetables (Figure 3c).The vegetable is popular among Banjar ethnic communities in this region and it is usually available everyday at Banjar traditional food stalls in Borneo.In Tambak Anyar Hilir village, the cultivar part of talas Hutan consumed is cormel along with stolons.While the cultivar of Keladi Putih has a characteristic white corm that consumed, Keladi Telur cultivar has a leaf shape like eggs (Figure 2f).All parts of this Taro -corm, leaves, petioles, and stolon can be consumed.
Banjar ethnic communities have traditional cultivar of Talas Hitam used for consumption of diabetics.The used a white tuber for carbohydrate sources.According to Aprianita (2014) Indonesia has many traditional tuber plants that contain carbohydrates and are potentially used in diets to reduce the risk of obesity, heart attack and diabetes.

Utilization of Taros by Kutai ethnic
Kutai communities know Taros as a vegetable food ingredient.Taro is generally processed into Sayur Kuning using a mixture of coconut milk (Figure 3f) and Sayur Talas is mixed with pineapple (Figure 3e).Plant parts used are corm and petioles.Taro cultivars consumed and utilized are Keladi Putih, Keladi Hitam and Talas Sayur.The corms, leaves and petioles of Taro are used as a vegetable and considered as a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins (Sharma, 2008).According to the Kutai ethnic community in the Perian village of West Kutai regency, the corm of Talas Putih has a soft texture and are single corm.In addition to the use of coconut milk, this vegetable is mixed with other vegetables such as eggplants, sour and others (Figure 3d).According to Brennan (2000) along the Pacific Islands, Taro are processed using coconut milk and other spices.
In East Kutai Regency, the people of Kutai ethnic used Talas Sayur that is generally consumed by community if this Taro is available and sold in traditional market.According to information from the community, the leaves, petiole, corm, and stolon can be consumed.As state by Matthews (2004) different cultivars are used in different ways and preserving culinary knowledge is important for preserving genetic diversity in Taro.This Taro grows on the margin of the ditches and on the sides of the highways.Although not cultivated clearly, Taro are widely found and some Taro types are particularly well adapted to difficult land and soil.According to Quero-garcia

Utilization of Taros by Dayak ethnic
Among Dayak Kahayan ethnic located in Central Borneo, Taro are known as Kujang.The traditional cultivars that are used by this ethnic include Kujang Bawa '/ Buah, Kujang Enyuh and Kujang Gahuri.
Talas "Malaysia" according to ethnic Dayak Pampang in East Borneo comes from Malaysia brought and cultivated by their ancestors in Borneo decades ago (Figure 2e).In Sanggau regency of West Borneo, Talas Malaysia cultivars was brought by workers returning from Malaysia and then planted by residents around the orchard.Ethnic Dayak Aje utilizes Malaysia Taros as "sayur asam pedas".All the parts of Taro can be consumed except stolons and corm have a sweet taste.
Keladi Gunung cultivars used by Dayak Benuaq ethnic morphologically are different from those used by Banjar ethnic (Figure 2c).Keladi Gunung of The Dayak ethnic have a reddish petiole with many corms (C.esculenta var.antiquorum), whereas those of Banjar ethnic have green petiole and single corm (C.esculenta var.esculenta).In addition, there is also a cultivar Keladi that can be consumed and grown under the house of Dayak people (Figure 4b).
In Central Borneo Dayak Katingan utilizes Talas Sayur cultivar for consumption and stolon is the most delicious part of this cultivar.Meanwhile, Dayak Kahayan knows traditional cultivars of Kujang Bawa ', Kujang Enyuh and Kujang Gahuri.Within one community or country, the two kinds of diversity are not necessarily correlated.A single cultivar can be used in many different ways, and more than one cultivar can be used in the same way (Matthews, 2004).Kujang Gahuri usually consumed during the dry season because the corms are not too watery and taste better.To reduce the acridity that arises when consuming Taros, the people of Dayak Kahayan process it by boiling and the boiling water should first be discarded.According to FAO (1990) the acridity that arises at the time of consuming Taro can be removed by boiling Taros first.
Talas Hitam is one of the traditional cultivars known by the Dayak Kenelas ethnic group (Figure 4f).This Taro can not be consumed and is only used for pig fodder which is kept around the community's residence.According to Matthews (2010) the overall utility of Taros is sometimes unknown by the people who utilize this plant, even in areas where Taro cultivation has long been done.Besides, Dayak Kenelas also recognizes Keladi Cina and Keladi Mei cultivar that can be consumed.

Utilization of Taros by the Bugis ethnic
One of the traditional Taro cultivars utilized by the Bugis ethnic is Keladi Hitam.This Taro grows in the orchard, margin of the rice fields in a relatively dry area.All parts of plants such as leaves, petiole and corm are consumed.The most commonly used part is the corm and has a very tender flavor.The corms are usually consumed and used for diabetics similar to cultivars known by the Banjar ethnic group.The corms was boiled  2004) Taro consumption often causes acridity causing irritation and burning on the skin and mouth.The acridity is thought to be due to the calcium oxalate crystals found on Taros directly in contact with skin (Kaushal, 2015).In addition to food, Keladi Bangkok cultivars can also be used as medicines especially petiole to lower blood pressure.Processing by way of the petiole boiled first and then consumed.In the province of Lampung, the part of Taro plants used as medicines is a leaf that serves as a wound medicine for the community (Utami & Asmaliyah, 2010).
Talas Merah cultivar corms are consumed more than unused petiole because they are rather itchy.This cultivar has morphologically pink tubers, roots, and stolons.The corms are better grown in a wet soil environment, whereas in dry first and then consumed as substitute for rice.According to community intensive consumption is still not known for certain and just for substitute rice.Englberger (2013) state that Taro has a high carotene content, especially the yellow corms and beneficial to ward off chronic diseases such as cancer, heart attack and diabetes In North Borneo province, Taro cultivars utilized by the Bugis community are Talas Malaysia.The part consumed is the corm while the other parts are underutilized.According to information obtained Talas Malaysia corms can be consumed if not stepped on by livetock.The corms that have been stepped by livestock are not consumed because they will be itchier.

Utilization of Taro by the Malay ethnic
Traditional Taro cultivars utilized by ethnic Malays include: Keladi Bangkok (Malaysia Taro), Talas Merah, Talas Putih, Talas Manis, Keladi Minyak, and Keladi Udang.The young  Tubers and young petiole can be consumed.In addition, Keladi Minyak cultivar was discovered.This cultivar has a corm that is tenderer, not itchy and tastier.It is usually cooked by boiling and added coconut milk or made into Sayur Bening.According to Ghani (1982) the most economically important and widely grown variety in Malay Peninsula region is Keladi China, besides, the well-known Taros are Keladi Minyak and Keladi Udang.In Sanggau district, people give the name of Keladi Udang due to the red leaf bone and petiole like shrimp skin (Figure 2d).
In West Borneo, there is a Taro intensive cultivation area on Jl.Soekarno-Hatta.The cultivated Taro is the Talas Kelapa and the Talas Hitam cultivar (Figure 4a).The crops are generally shipped out of areas such as Java and Jakarta.Taro corm commodity prices are relatively high at 15-20 thousand/kg (Figure 4c).The people process them into Taro snack that becomes typical souvenirs of West Borneo (Figure 4e).In the eastern part of Indonesia, the corms are used as a staple food, while the people in the rest of the country use the corms as a raw material for animal feed and snacks (Kumoro et al., 2013).Cultivation of Taro in this area is done by the immigrant community from the island of Java, especially Madurese who become migrant farmers in West Borneo.According to Rao (2010) Taro plants in cultivation are managed by farmers and their genetic resources are maintained under the control of local communities.
Spesies and utilization of Taro parts by ethnic communities in Borneo varies widely and differently (Figure 5).For species of Taro consumed, the community utilizes C. esculenta both var.esculenta and var.antiquorum.The most widely used parts are the corms of 38% and leaves 32%, while the petiole as well as all the Taro parts is as much as 11%.The least utilized part is stolons by 8%.Quero-Garcia (2010) state that Taro are mostly consumed for their corms and cormels but leaves and petioles can also be part of the diet.

CONCLUSIONS
The Taros used by some ethnic communities consist of C. esculenta var.esculenta and var.antiquorum, C. affinis and wild of C. esculenta.C. esculenta var.esculenta and var.antiquorum is used as subsistence food crops and vegetables, C. affinis is used as ornamental plants, and wild Colocasia esculenta is used as animal fodder.There are fif-ty eight traditional cultivars Taros used by some ethnic in Borneo.Keladi Hitam cultivars are used by diabetics as a source of carbohydrates and Keladi Putih and Keladi Bangkok are used as blood pressure-lowering drugs.The most widely used Taro parts are corm.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.The location of Taro sampling in Borneo island.

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Percentage of utilization of Taro parts by community Tabel 1. Traditional Taro cultivars and their utilization in Borneo