Isozyme Variation in Taro, Colocasia esculenta(L.) Schott, from China, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, and Japan: Its Dispersal into Japan.

Abstract

To survey geographical variation of taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, isozyme variation was examined in 120 accessions of taro from China, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, and Japan. The accessions were assigned to 12 groups, based on their isozyme phenotypes of PGM, SkDH, AAT, and ADH. Cluster analysis classified Japanese triploid accessions into four larger groups, and this classification agreed with previous studies. The triploid accessions classified into the same groups were found in Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, and Japan or in China and Japan. The geographical distribution suggested two different dispersal routes of triploid taro into Japan. One route was through Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands, and the other directly from China. It was suggested that these routes might be characterized by some Japanese cultivars.